Pranab Mukherjee at an event in Calcutta on Monday. Picture by Amit Datta

Calcutta, Oct. 27: The Congress today gave its nod to the Bengal unit for seat adjustments with the Trinamul Congress for municipal polls next month.

“Senior state Congress leaders called on me to discuss the strategy for the forthcoming civic elections. I told them to go for a local-level poll understanding. The leadership will accept whatever is decided at the local level,” foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

The Howrah Municipal Corporation and the municipalities of Behrampore, Krishnagar and Jhargram will go to the polls on November 30.

The Howrah and Jhargram civic bodies are controlled by the CPM while the Congress is at the helm in Behrampore and Krishnagar.

During the 45-minute meeting at his Dhakuria residence, Pranab, overseeing affairs in Bengal in the absence of the ailing Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, was learnt to have told leaders that seat-sharing with Trinamul at the grassroots would help consolidate the anti-CPM votes.

The Trinamul leadership welcomed the move.

“If leaders of the two parties at the local level come to an electoral understanding to keep the CPM at bay, we have no problem. Our main objective is to oust the communists from Bengal,” said Trinamul state president Subrata Bakshi.

A Trinamul source said Mamata Banerjee was keen on the alliance, realising her urban vote bank had started eroding after the Nano project left Singur because of her protests.

Mamata had met Pranab in Delhi earlier this month, sparking talks of a tie-up.

“Pranabda today okayed local-level seat adjustment with the Trinamul-led secular front and we shall abide by the directive. Local-level talks for seat adjustment with the Trinamul-led front are already on in Howrah and Jhargram. We are expecting similar negotiations in Behrampore and Krishnagar,” said state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharya.

Subrata Mukherjee, another working president, said: “We are always in favour of an alliance with Trinamul to ensure the CPM’s defeat.”

It was also decided that Pradip and Subrata would oversee the affairs of the organisation in consultation with Pranab. A joint bank account was opened for the two leaders who will handle day-to-day expenses of the party.