Calcutta, March 13: Mamata Banerjee was in for a “surprise” today when partner SUCI decided to field candidates against her new ally Congress in nine of the 14 seats it is contesting.

“The SUCI didn’t consult me and I am a bit surprised. I will try and convince them not to field so many candidates against the Congress. Above all, I’d appeal to every Opposition party to ensure anti-Left votes don’t split,” Mamata said.

“The SUCI might also help the Congress by cutting into Left votes,” she added.

The Trinamul chief has left the Joynagar Lok Sabha seat to the SUCI.

Of the 14 seats she has spared for the Congress, the SUCI is contesting nine, saying the the two parties’ ideological differences is “too much”.

“Our alliance with Trinamul is because of the joint movements we have been organising across the state through the year. Mamata entered into an alliance with the Congress against our serious reservations and our announced policy of equidistance from the Congress and the BJP. We want to continue our alliance with Trinamul to organise mass movements, but we never thought of doing so with the Congress as our ideological differences are too much,” SUCI state secretary Pravas Ghosh said.

The party will lock horns with the Congress in Jalpaiguri, Raiganj, Malda North, Murshidabad, Burdwan-Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, Bolpur and Jhargram.

Congress legislature party leader Manas Bhuniya said: “It’s surprising that a Trinamul ally is fighting us. This does not follow up to the alliance arithmetic. I’ll place this before the party high command.”

The SUCI did not apparently spring the only surprise on Mamata. The discomfiture in the Congress ranks over the 28-14 seat sharing formula has also stumped her. “I am told that some Congress workers are demoralised. That is surprising, as our workers will fight tooth and nail for Congress candidates,” she said.

“Anger and frustration” in the Congress camp over the seat-sharing deal agreed to by party leaders in Delhi has become a source of concern for the state unit.

“It will be difficult to convince workers that the formula isn’t a sell-out. However, we’ve got instructions from (state chief) Pranab Mukherjee to organise small meetings in every constituency. Mamata and Pranabbabu will chalk out the joint campaign plan on Sunday,” state party working president Subrata Mukherjee said.