Calcutta, Nov. 30: A larger than usual turnout marked today’s polls to the Howrah Municipal Corporation and the municipalities of Behrampore, Krishnagar and Jhargram.

In public, Left Front and Opposition leaders tried to conceal fears of an anti-incumbency factor in places where they were in power.

The Left controls Howrah and Jhargram, while Behrampore and Krishnagar are with the Congress.

In Howrah, where the CPM has dropped all 30 councillors, 72 per cent people voted. The figure was 65 per cent in 2003. “People might see the changes as an admission of guilt,” a CPM leader said in private.

The Trinamul Congress hopes the “Howrah results will prove that urban voters are with us”. The results will be declared on Tuesday.