Elated Trinamool Congress winner Saha said: 'It is the victory of ma, mati o manush (mother, land and people).'

'Ma, mati o manush' is the slogan coined by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who has been beating the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front in all recent polls in West Bengal.

On the other hand, CPI-M leader Rabin Deb said the results were a continuation of the trend of people voting against the ruling combine.

'Only three months have passed since the Lok Sabha polls. Though we have taken rectification measures to stem our downslide, it is too short a time.'

Deb said the popularity of Somen Mitra, who had been winning uninterruptedly from Sealdah since 1982, was a factor in the constituency.

'In Bowbazar, we experimented by putting up an independent candidate from the Christian community. But it seems the people did not accept that,' Deb said.