Kolkata:
The Trinamool Congress and the CPM are also locked in a fierce battle to consolidate their position in the Bengal Assembly through the by-elections that are being held this Saturday for 10 seats.
The by-polls are being seen as a semi-final before the Assembly elections in 2011.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had led the Left to a thumping win in 2006-- 235 out of 294 seats. But after Nandigram and Singur, the Left has suffered huge setbacks, most tangibly in the Lok Sabha polls in May.
Saturday's polls will test if the Left has been able to stem the ebb or if the Trinamool is consolidating its position. And the seat where the fight is most bitter is Belgachia East.
The battle for Belgachia East is do or die. CPM's Ramala Chakraborty is the widow of Subhash Chakraborty, who held this seat from 1977 till his death in August. He was a maverick who often embarrassed Buddhadeb. But retaining this seat is a matter of prestige.
But Trinamool's Sujit Bose, who was once a Subhash acolyte, lost to him last time by less than 2000 votes and wants to break that jinx.
"I had lost to rigging and terror. The people in this constituency want me for a long time. I have their support," says Sujit Bose.
The CPM candidate, Ramala Chakraborty, says, "This constituency had many problems but it has been solved, thanks to Subhashbabu."
Of the 10 seats up for grabs, Trinamool holds 5, Congress 2 and the Left 3. While 9 seats may see repeat results, East Belgachia is sitting on the fence. It was part of the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat which the CPM lost to Trinamool in May.
Sujit says this poll is a dress rehearsal for the 2011. "This is a semi-final. We will win. We will also win in the final, says Sujit Bose.
However, Ramala disagrees, and says no dress rehearsals. This poll is it. "We are the finalists. The Opposition has played semi-finals many times. They can live in the hope," says the CPM candidate.
Counting will be held on November 10. The results will determine the course of politics in West Bengal in the months leading to the next Assembly polls due in 2011.