Calcutta, April 24: Posters of Sujit Bose, Trinamul's Bidhannagar MLA, with the party nominee for Ward 30 of the South Dum Dum municipality are splashed all over Bangur Avenue.

In another ward, minister Bratya Basu's photographs share space with those of Barun Nandy, a candidate.

Minister Purnendu Bose is in the same frame with his follower Amit Poddar in yet another ward.

The three posters tell the story of the South Dum Dum municipality. In the absence of any credible Opposition, the battle for this civic body is between the three Boses.

On the face of it, it seems all the three are working hard to ensure the party's victory, but Trinamul insiders tell a different story.

"It is an ego battle for the three leaders. Each is trying to prove his superiority over the other two. The fight has weakened the party," a Trinamul source said.

The main reason behind the keen interest the three leaders have taken in Saturday's election is the composition of the municipality - 35 wards are spread over the three Assembly segments of Bidhannagar, Dum Dum and Rajarhat-Gopalpur, represented by Sujit, Bratya and Purnendu, respectively.

The fact that the three Boses are campaigning in wards that are part of their respective constituencies has strengthened speculation that they are not on the same page.

"Eight municipal wards are under my constituency. There is nothing wrong if I campaign for my candidates in the area," said Purnendu, the labour minister.

The upwardly mobile and cosmopolitan character of the municipality, with 40 per cent of the 3.5 lakh voters speaking Hindi, and easy accessibility to the heart of the city and the airport make the civic body one of the most prestigious ones.

Not just real estate, several other business activities ranging from petty trading to high-end retailing thrive in the area.

The municipality's importance for Trinamul can be determined from the fact that two MLAs from the area, Purnendu and Bratya, have found place in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.

After losing out in the ministerial race in 2011, Sujit set his eyes on the civic body and is keen to control it, said sources. Once a close aide of the late CPM leader Subhas Chakraborty, Sujit became an MLA after Chakraborty's death. Bratya and former Naxal leader Purnendu came closer to Mamata during the Singur-Nandigram agitation.

"Sujit felt he was ignored though he has been in the party longer than the other two. Now he wants to prove that he is better than the two ministers," a senior Trinamul leader said.

In the run-up to the polls, each of the leaders lobbied hard for candidates of their choice and the skirmishes tumbled out into the open.

"The ministers should have ironed out the differences and kept factional feud away. Five of the sitting councillors are contesting as Independents after failing to secure tickets," said a senior leader from North 24-Parganas.

"Bratya has the highest number of wards in his constituency - 17. Sujit is the vice-chairman of the outgoing municipal board. The fight is more intense between these two," the leader added.

Factions opposed to Sujit accuse him of trying to sabotage the poll prospects of his rival in the party - Mriganko Bhattacharya, the chairman-in-council (public works department).

"After Mriganko's ward was reserved for women, he wanted the adjacent one. Sujit did not agree to it. Mriganko is contesting from Ward 19, which the CPM has never lost," a source said.

Both Purnendu and Bratya had backed Mriganko, but after failing to give him the ward of his choice, they struck off the name of sitting councillor Suchaita Das, who belongs to the Sujit lobby, from the list of nominees. She is now contesting as in Independent.

In Ward 16, Bratya pushed for his former aide Nandy's nomination, while Sujit was keen on Polly Chakraborty, a family member of one of those who died in the July 21, 1993, police firing. Denied a ticket, Polly is contesting as an Independent.

Bratya denied there was any ego problem. "We are all together," he said.

The squabbles seen ahead of the polls is likely to continue even after the results are declared as the leaders have started bracing for the next round - the selection of the chairman and the municipal office-bearers.

Sujit is said to be in the running for the post of chairman. Purnendu is supposedly pushing for another candidate, Pachu Roy.

The Bidhannagar MLA refused comment when asked if he was vying for the chairman's post. "People have seen the work I have done in the past five years. I have nothing to worry about," Sujit said.