Taipei's KMT machine is keeping Mayor Chiang Wan-an's help for its white-camp partner to a bare minimum, a sign the blue-white alliance is more truce than merger ahead of year-end local elections.

• Taipei KMT chief Tai Hsi-chin said Chiang will appear only at big joint rallies, not for individual candidates, and "the fewer, the better."
• The line came from polling 33 KMT city council hopefuls, who worry Chiang's star power would pull votes toward TPP rivals.
• A collapse of blue-white cooperation in Zhubei has raised fears the deal could unravel elsewhere; Taipei is asking TPP voters to back Chiang anyway.
• The KMT is running a strict vote-splitting scheme in Taipei — birth season in four-seat districts, ID number endings in five-seat ones — to spread support evenly.
• With about 80 days left, Chiang is also booked for support groups across 12 districts and campaigning outside Taipei, including for Lee Szu-chuan in New Taipei.

Outlook: Expect one joint rally before election eve at most, with both parties competing for seats while publicly keeping the alliance alive.