‘Poll result was not expected’

A day after Left Front chairman Biman Bose ebulliently predicted that the Front would win a comfortable majority in the assembly elections, the state CPI(M) headquarters at Alimuddin Street was a picture of woe.

There were more mediapersons than party supporters and leaders at the HQ today.

Outgoing chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was there till 1.30 pm, did not address the media and a combative Bose was left to explain the party’s defeat.

“The Left was not born only to win elections,” he said. “We will continue to oppose the anti-people policies of the Centre.”

Admitting that the people had responded to the Trinamool’s “call for change”, he said: “The result was unexpected. We accept our defeat...our failure to gauge ground realities.”

The Left will play the role of a responsible opposition, he said, adding: “We will offer full support to the new government on matters of development and progress.”

Asked if he or his party would congratulate Mamata Banerjee, he said: “In a democratic set-up, one doesn’t offer condolence messages to the defeated, nor do you dance in joy for the victors.”

But the Left’s poster boy, former housing minister Goutam Deb, was gracious in defeat.

Deb, who had submitted documents to the EC in support of his charge that the Trinamool was using black money to fund its election expenses, said he would like to extend his wishes to Banerjee.

“The black money does not matter. People wanted change,” he said to a TV channel earlier in the morning. “I wish her all success. We bow our head. We will cooperate with her.”

There were some tense moments in the afternoon when a group of ecstatic Trinamool supporters zoomed past the CPI(M) headquarters on motorcycles, a reminder, if one was needed, that the state's power centre was no longer on Alimuddin Street.

(With inputs from agencies)