Bengal polls: Major WINNERS and LOSERS

The Trinamool Congress on Friday secured absolute majority in the 294-member West Bengal assembly, winning 163 seats and leading in 23 others as results of 264 seats have been declared so far.

The Communist Party of India - Marxist, which was in power since 1977, won only 35 seats, leading in four others. Its front partner Forward Bloc could win in only 10 seats, Revolutionary Socialist Party in 6 (leading in one seat each) and Communist Party of India in two seats.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tasted defeat from Jadavpur in the southern fringe of the city at the hands of Manish Gupta, a former chief secretary of the state who contested on Trinamool Congress ticket, by over 16,000 votes. He had been winning from this seat since 1987.

Let's look at the major winners and losers in Bengal polls...

Industry Minister and CPI-M politburo member Nirupam Sen had to bite the dust as the Left Front faced a rout, ending its 34-year-long rule in West Bengal after counting of votes on Friday.

Sen, a CPI-M strongman from Burdwan, was trounced by TC's Rabi Ranjan Chattopadhyay, a political greenhorn, by 36,438 votes.

Another big upset for CPI-M was the defeat of Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta. He was trounced by former secretary general of FICCI Amit Mitra at Khardah constituency in North 24 Parganas district.

Khardah, regarded a Marxist bastion, was won by Mitra by a convincing margin of 2,6154 votes.

Another major upset was CPI-M star campaigner and Housing Minister Gautam Deb. He had predicted a sure victory for the Front, but fell by the wayside at Dum Dum.

Trinamool Congress candidate and playwright Bratya Basu defeated Deb, who had changed his constituency this time, by 31,497 votes.

Deb had earlier won from Hasnabad in North 24 Paraganas.

The winds of change were so strong that even veteran CPI-M leader and Sunderban Development minister Kanti Ganguly lost from Raidighi to TC greenhorn cinestar Debasree Roy.

Roy, a popular actress who has earlier won the National Film Award for Best Actress, contested the elections at the behest of Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's on Abhijit Mukherjee defeated his Forward Bloc rival Dipak Chatterjee from Nalhati in Birbhum by more than 15,000 votes.

Mukherjee had given up a cushy corporate job at the Steel Authority of India Limited to follow in his father's footsteps.

Popular film actor and Trinamool candidate Chiranjeet Chakrabarti beat his Forward Bloc rival Sanjib Chattopadhaya at Barasat constituency by nearly 43,000 votes.

Singer and Trinamool candidate Anup Ghosal beat his CPI-M rival Dr Srutinath Praharaj in Uttarpara constituency by nearly 40,000 votes.