Taiwan's two main opposition parties are lining up behind Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao's re-election run, a show of unity that is good for the blue-white alliance but has angered KMT loyalists left without their own candidate.

• KMT chair Cheng Li-wun and TPP founder Ko Wen-je both showed up to back Kao as she registered to run again.
• The KMT did not nominate anyone of its own for Hsinchu mayor, so its city council candidates have no top-of-ticket figure to campaign with.
• Council candidate Chien Kang-ming mocked the pairing as "small blue plus big white" and said the KMT chair had sold out her own party.
• Chien is backing Ho Chih-yung, a KMT-rooted mayoral hopeful who failed to win the party's nod.
• The Hsinchu show of unity contrasts with the blue-white talks that collapsed over the Zhubei mayoral race.

Outlook: The alliance holds in Hsinchu for now, but internal KMT resentment over the unnominated seat is likely to keep leaking into the campaign.