In part this is a direct legacy of the continuing economic stagnation of West Bengal. People, especially the young are hungry for employment, any kind of work. The TMC rules West Bengal. .And the BJP is its main opposition and more importantly, the only one growing party.. Moreover it is ruling the centre. Naturally, there is the general perception that an entry into either is the minimum pre requisite for a secure future.

The Left Front and the Congress are equally keen to perform well. But the political battle for supremacy in Bengal does not really involve them.

The roiling unrest over nominations within the TMC and the BJP has occurred all over the state . The phenomenon has hit the BP harder than the TMC .But for unforeseen last minute setbacks, it may well ensure a smooth sailing for the ruling party in the civic polls. However, its' easy streets' position at present does not necessarily augur well for the coming Assembly polls in 2016 for the TMC.

Out of 141 wards in the greater Kolkata area, the TMC had major worries about winning in nearly 60. By Lok Sabha 2014 poll stats, the BJP had secured a lead in 37 of these. Weak organisation and dissidence were a major problem in at least 20 more.

Following the scandalous Sarada chit fund scam revelations, the law and order breakdown, the continuing economic decline and poor governance, the BJP was certainly poised to make further progress in the coming polls. At this juncture, during the nomination process, the BJP seems to have shot itself in the foot.

Thanks to the state party's surprising ineptitude, at this writing it is clear that the BJP will not fare very well in the civic polls. Its most ardent supporters now concede that without a miracle, their party will win nowhere near the estimated 40/45 seats they were eyeing earlier. .

The way the party nominated its candidates opened up a Pandora's box. BJP workers and supporters have strongly protested both in North and South Bengal--- along with Kolkata and Howrah, civic elections are being held in 80-plus smaller municipal bodies. There are some 4500 wards to be won.

Strangely enough state party leaders not only accepted defectors and malcontents from the CPI(M) , the Congress and the TMC (in large numbers), they even rewarded them with tickets as candidates for the polls! This defied all conventional wisdom.

State President Rahul Sinha, not the most popular of men even within the BJP, explained that for every ward, the party had received between 10 to 20 applicants. Naturally only one could be given ticket. If this upset the others, it was too bad. Such men turned into aggressive dissidents and carried out demonstrations, slogan shouting and even burnt effigies and the party flag, in various district offices. They even tried to raid the party headquarters for two days at Central Kolkata, baying for Sinha's blood. Eventually the state leaders had to make lathi charges to clear them out, with some police help.

All this proved highly embarrassing for the BJP both in Bengal and in Delhi. The TMC made merry, while the Left Front maintained that there was nothing really to differentiate between the TMC and the BJP.

The charge against the state leadership levelled by the dissidents was that Sinha and others had neglected loyal hard working cadres who had bore the brunt of TMC onslaughts while favouring deserters from other parties. They alleged that the state party leaders had accepted money from such defectors. Birbhum President Doodh Kumar Mandal, who had set up a strong BJP unit to challenge the TMC seriously in the district, resigned in protest over the nominations in his territory , accusing Sinha directly of collusion. He was joined by other office bearers.

There were similar resignations and protests elsewhere as well. In one ward in Kolkata, Manas Saha, the BJP nominee who had just the party from the TMC only days ago, went missing and later resurfaced as a TMC candidate for the ward, ditching the BJP! Prominent actress Roopa Ganguly was projected as the Mayoral candidate from a Golf Green ward---until it was found that she could not vote in the polls, not being registered as a Kolkata voter ,her name having been deleted mysteriously from the rolls .

These setbacks hit the BJP image hard day after day, ruthlessly exposing the organisational inadequacies of the party. Worse party dissidents openly expressed their intention to work against the men in saffron in the polls.

Eventually the BJP central leadership intervened. A special five member committee was set up to oversee policy matters and the decision taking process. Along with Mr, Siddharthnath Singh, Ms Nirmala Sitaraman was designated as a leader in charge of the West Bengal affairs. Sinha was in for a roasting, but he was not censored publicly. His wings were somewhat clipped.

BJP central leaders were not pleased over the functioning of the state unit, feeling that the pro-Modi wave had not been utilised effectively. The membership enrolment had not proceeded encouragingly enough. State leaders pointed out that between may 2014 and now, membership had risen from around 1,50,000 to over 30,00,000, and the overall vote share, from 6 to 17%.

Sinha also made a telling point: the fact that people were scrambling and fighting over a BJP ticket was proof of its growth, not indiscipline. 'In 2014 before the LS polls, there were no takers for our offers to people in various areas to contest on our behalf,' said Sinha.

However, the Left is currently carrying on a serious campaign, having fielded many new, youthful faces. The students and youths are engaged in daily rallies, and marches, apart from doing a door to door campaign. LF chairman Biman Bose, meeting leaders of other parties, succeeded in bringing about a larger left consolidation this time, including the SUC and the Naxalite groups, unlike in the past. His message, given publicly to Left workers: Face the situation boldly, no matter what happens.' This is in consonance with the new emboldened left approach to struggle harder against the TMC's misrule on all issues in West Bengal.

In terms of campaign visibility and exertion, the Congress remains well behind other parties and consolidations. it remains to be seen what its newly assertive approach brings by way of political dividends for the Left. For the BJP, it may rue its lost chances, on account of its own ineptitude. However, central leaders are not too upset. 'we are well aware that our organisation is not yet fully in place in Bengal. The Bengal party is still in a 'work in progress' status , but it will certainly be ready to go by the time the 2016 assembly polls are due,' according to one Central party leaders.

For the moment, it is advantage TMC. But the open defiance of its own dissidence indicates that there is hardly any discipline within the parry, which can only worsen unless all its armed, warring factions can be kept in line prior to 2016 assembly polls. (IPA Service)