West Bengal elections 2016: Despite TMC sweep, some ministers lose seats

None of these losses is likely to affect Mamata Banerjee in the creation of her new cabinet or affect her party work adversely. In fact, insiders said, Mamata will benefit from many of the losses.

Elections 2016: Big Winners & Losers

The loss of Mitra, a strong candidate from Kamarhati constituency, came as a surprise to many but was in line with Mamata’s line of “purging” unwanted elements in the party. One of her closest aides at one point, Mitra was known for his popularity among TMC workers and his organisational skills. An accused in the Saradha scam, Mitra was arrested by the CBI in December 2014.

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With a TMC ticket from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas, Mitra fought the polls from behind bars, enlisting his wife and son to campaign for him. Insiders said that if Mitra had won, the Saradha case would have continued to embarrass Mamata.

In Malda district, sources said, the fierce fight between cabinet ministers and arch rivals Sabitri Mitra and Krishnendu Narayan was the primary reason for both their defeats. Both originally belonged to the Congress. Both defected to the TMC in 2011 and were made ministers. Similar infighting affected Chandrima Bhattacharya’s result from North Dum Dum seat. Sources said that councillors of as many as seven municipal wards, all belonging to the TMC, had turned against her.

North 24 Parganas’ Bagdah candidate Upen Biswas faced the more popular candidate Dulal Bar. A former TMC member, Bar moved to the Congress ahead of the elections, when he failed to secure a ticket from the TMC. Bar was known to be extremely popular in the area, a constituency bordering Bangladesh, and also more connected to the people than Biswas, who was earlier a joint director with the CBI.

Former chief secretary of West Bengal Manish Gupta faced a tough fight in Jadavpur constituency. Traditionally a CPM stronghold, the constituency changed hands when Mamata won the elections in 2011.