The heat of the February 12 civic polls in Siliguri is intensifying with leaders of different parties engaging in a war of words to try and woo more than four lakh voters.

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation is the largest civic body of north Bengal.

Leaders of Trinamul and the BJP, who have never been in power in the SMC are coming up with numerous promises. The Left and Congress, contesting on an informal alliance, want people to repeat their 2015 mandate when the Left had won.

“We want to develop Siliguri into a model civic area of Bengal if Trinamul is voted to power. Residents here have voted the Left, Congress and the BJP for years (in various elections) but the parties have done nothing for the city. Asok Bhattacharya (Left leader and

former mayor) had earlier said he won’t contest but he is back. People do not like such changes,” minister and Trinamul leader Aroop Biswas said here on Monday.

Trinamul veteran Gautam Deb who is the party’s main face in the Siliguri civic polls said the civic area has two BJP MLAs and alleged they failed to meet people’s aspirations.

“The Left and Congress lack the bare minimum support base... None could field candidates in all 47 seats of the SMC,” said Deb.

The BJP tore into Trinamul and the Left. “Siliguri suffered from the state government apathy as funds for development of civic areas were not given for years. The Left could not run the municipal corporation successfully as it lacked vision,” said Raju Bista, the BJP MP of Darjeeling.

Bhattacharya, still deemed the Left’s most popular leader, accused Trinamul and the BJP of neglecting the city. “Both state and central governments deprived Siliguri. Their leaders made tall claims but those did not translate into development,” he said.

“We are confident people here will give a mandate similar to the last civic polls. Trinamul and BJP will not come to power at the civic body here," he said.