As counting began at 9.15 am, a steady trickle of supporters began pouring in at the CPM party office located near the Nandigram College, the centre of counting of the votes. The TMC supporters, meanwhile, gathered in a corner of the field beside the college.

As it became increasingly evident that the TMC was marching ahead, it let loose a host of confusion in the CPM camp and the local leaders were seen groping for explanations for the defeat.

Whereas, the news of each win was followed by loud cheers and applause at the TMC camp, amid the celebrations there also existed an apprehension among the 150-odd supporters of the TMC camped at the BDO office. They feared an attack by the CPM cadres as they returned to their villages in Amgachia, Rainagar and Jambari.

Ashok Guria, CPI(M) district committee secretary, attributed the defeat to the land acquisition. “We have lost because people do not want to give away land. We have not been able to reach out to them and explain the issue,” he said.

TMC’s Sheikh Sufian, who won one of the two Zilla Parishad seats, said, “People feared that if the CPM comes to power, it would force them to give away their land.”

The TMC camp was grateful to the CRPF DIG Alok Raj. There is a palpable tension among the state police force at the Nandigram police station, though. “The local people had accused us earlier. We do not know what kind of behaviour to expect from the people now,” said an officer of the Nandigram police station.