Barring for a couple of seats there was conformity between the Left and the Congress in "more or less" all the seats, a CPI(M) leader on Thursday said after the Congress announced the list of its candidates from Bengal.

According to Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, the tri-colour party was fielding candidates from Raiganj, Malda North and South, Jangipur, Behrampore, Purulia 

The biggest Left Front constituent CPI(M) would not make any official comment but they expressed their anguish on one or two seats saying, "this is for a bigger cause and so we will thrash out the difference if any privately."

According to sources the Left was loath to shed the Raiganj seat to the Congress though both the parties have a strong base in the constituency which was held by both the Left and the Congress' PR Dasmunshi and subsequently his wife Deepa Dasmunshi alternatively until the BJP won from here taking advantage of a tri-cornered fight in 2019.

CPI(M)'s Md Salim had won this seat by a meager 2000 votes in 2014.

The third partner Indian Secular Front — in the non-BJP-non-TMC axis — floated mainly by the family of a Muslim cleric and presently led by its MLA Naushad Siddiqui however has demanded eight seats making the question of the alliance a bit tricky. ISF has decided to contest from Murshidabad a Left-Congress stronghold — from where Salim is likely to contest this time round, — Malda North and South, Serampore (a seat that the Left has already announced its candidate from) Diamond Harbour, Joynagar and Barasat making it difficult for both the Congress and the CPI(M), experts say.

Meanwhile, TMC's Yusuf Pathan on Thursday started his campaign at Behrampore where sitting Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury will seek reelection for the seventh consecutive time. "

I have come to Bengal because it is my second home as I have played for KKR for several years … I will try to give a fight at Behrampore and work for the people here," Pathan said.