Meanwhile Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee held a closed-door meeting with party candidates at her Kalighat residence on Sunday. She, however, refrained from making any public comments. Though, Congress workers and leaders at some seats are co-operating with each other, there are a number of seats where disharmony is conspicuous. For example in Krishnagar, where Trinamool candidate and Tollywood star Tapas Pal has started campaigning no Congress worker or leader was seen anywhere near him. An exasperated Pal had to take a break in his campaign schedule and visit the chairman of Krishnagar municipality and Congress leader Asim Saha. But the impasse continued.

“There have been no instructions given to us by the district Congress leadership regarding the alliance. If that does not come we cannot work for the Trinamool,” said Asim Saha.

In seats like Kolkata North East and Diamond Harbour, where Sudip Bandopadhyaya and Somen Mitra are contesting on Trinamool tickets, Congress workers are expected to remain aloof, since both leaders broke away from Congress recently to join Mamata Banerjee.

Interestingly, on Saturday Abdul Karim Choudhury, the Trinamool chief of North Dinajpur district, sent his resignation to Banerjee. He has decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. “My workers have built a strong base in Raigunj in the past few years. I have been with Mamata Banerjee since the formation of the Trinamool in 1999. In Raiganj we had a good chance on our own and I cannot support Dipa Dasmunshi a candidate from Congress,” Choudhury said.