Barrackpore:
The Left and the Trinamool are both seeking change. But there's atwist. The Left wants Bengal to be the catalyst for a regime change atthe Centre. And for that, the Left needs to repeat 2004 in Bengal - 35out of the 42 seats in Bengal.
"We have to bring about a change - a change in government policies," Politburo Member, CPI(M), Brinda Karat is heard saying in a public meeting.
"The slogan of the people is parivartan," says Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Candidate, in Barrackpore.
But the Opposition is viewing these elections as an opportunity to end the three decade-old dominance of the Left. The alliance between Trinamool and Congress is confident of securing 16 to 18 seats in these elections.
"The change is happening from the grass roots - from the Panchayat levels we have won the Nandigram bypolls, we have won Bishnupur bypolls, where they have won for 32 years," says Dinesh Trivedi.
Post-Nandigram and Singur, the Trinamool has done well at the Panchayat polls and assembly bypolls. Now, the Opposition is pitching these elections as a vote on the performance of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government.
"The battle for Bengal will be in 2011 but the Trinamool and the Congress is bringing it in 2009," puts forth Brinda Karat.
But one thing is clear. Results of these elections will certainly redefine Left's role - both in national politics as well in the state.