He, however, refused to comment on the reasons that led to ruling CPM’s debacle in the polls. “Why people vote for a certain political party depends entirely on them. It is impossible for me to react immediately.”

He also dodged a question on whether the polls were a referendum on the Left’s controversial land acquisition policy.

He lamented on his party’s defeat in Murshidabad Zilla Parishad polls — considered to be a Congress stronghold.

Of the 254 Gram Panchayat seats in the district, the Congress has won 140 seats and of the 26 Panchayat Samiti seats the Congress has won 11. Mukherjee represents the Jangipara Lok Sabha constituency, which falls in Murshidabad district.