All eyes on Calcutta north-west seat

The presence of a Nationalist Trinamool Congress heavyweight in Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee being opposed by high-profile party rebel Sudip Bandyopadhyya and the CPI(M)'s Sudhangshu Sil who hopes to cash in on the division in NTC ranks have all the ingredients of a close encounter in the Calcutta North-West Lok Sabha seat.

Considered to be a 'safe seat' for NTC, the cosmopolitan Calcutta North-West constituency home to a major chunk of non-Bengali population hogged the limelight after a defiant Bandopadhyay put his foot down on NTC's decision to shunt him out of his home turf.

A one-time close confidante of Mamata Banerjee, Bandopadhyay who fell from her grace since mid last year when he was about to become a central minister 'without her knowledge' has made his own party, the Congress and the Left Front as well as poll watchers sit up and ponder over the ramifications of the dissent.

Thanks to the ego clash between the two which may jeopardise the NTC's chances, the CPI(M) is making a desperate bid to reap dividends from the development.

The CPI(M) will not let go of this opportunity to deal Mamata Banerjee a big blow.

The CPI(M) hopes that even if Bandyopadhyya could not make it to Parliament, he could make the Trinamool's 'safe seat' turn unsafe.