"The fight is tough. In Bengal, we will not win by huge margins but we should be able to retain power. When the results are announced on Friday, the return of the Left government in Bengal would surprise everyone, particularly the bitter critics of the party," CPI-M leader Nilotpal Basu told Rediff.com.
Asked if the Left Front would retain its hold in Kerala, he said that the difference in the vote percentage between the Congress-led alliance and the Left Democratic Front will not be too much. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the polls in Kerala, admitted Basu.
"The party cadres have sent positive signals in the party circles. Based on their feedback, we can now say that we should retain power in Kerala as well," he said.
But the leaders of Congress and Trinamool are confident that the Left Front government would be swept away by the 'winds of change' blowing across West Bengal. Meanwhile, Congress leaders like Tom Waddakan have expressed confidence that the Congress-led alliance would come to power in Kerala.