Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had been defeated in the Jadavpur constituency, swept out by the Mamta Banerjee wave.
For the first time since the Left Front lost the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2011, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former chief minister, hit the campaign trail in Kolkata on Tuesday amid a sea of red flags and cadres clearly rejuvenated to see him in public.
"We have a big fight ahead," said Mr Bhattacharjee, at the end of a 90 minute procession from Dhakuria to Jadavpur. In 2011, Mr Bhattacharjee had been defeated in the Jadavpur constituency, swept out by the Mamta Banerjee wave.
From Dhakuria in south Kolkata all the way to Garia, the red procession wound its way as ordinary people watched. Some said Mr Bhattacharjee would not be able to make a dent in Ms Banerjee's vote.
"She has done a lot of work for us in the villages," said Santanu Banik, a shop keeper. His friend agreed but added, "It is good if there is a strong opposition."
Other than that, it was all enthusiasm and optimism. And not just among cadres.
A student watching the procession pass said, "It's good to see the Reds back on the streets. Policy needs perspective and that has been missing in the last five years. Hopefully, the Left has learnt a lesson and will do a better job this time if reelected."
A young woman added, "It's very difficult to tolerate the Narada, the Sharda and corruption like this."
In the procession were several CPM candidates, including Sujan Chakraborty, who is contesting from Jadavpur this time against Trinamool's Manish Gupta.
A housewife in her 40s, standing on her balcony said, "I have been waiting for the last hour to see Buddha Babu."
What about Didi? A smile and wrinkled nose is the answer. Big question, will the Buddha 'charisma' pull votes?