Kolkata (PTI): With Trinamool Congress- Congress alliance routing the Left Front in municipal elections in West Bengal in less than two months after Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Conress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the resignation of the state's Left Front government.

"The CPI(M) should draw a lesson from this verdict and step down from power. Despite their terror, the people have once again supported us within one and half month of the Lok Sabha poll," Banerjee told a Bengali TV news channel from Delhi.

Dedicating her party's victory to 'ma-mati-manush' (mother, land and the people), she said earlier Trinamool Congress had only Egra municipality in its control and now it has won in 13.

She said even in Asansol, where TC had lost in the LS election, the TC-Congress alliance had done well.

Party workers should be humbled by the electoral verdict, she said.

She allleged that in Rajarhat municipality where CPI-M won, a huge catche of arms was seized. "I have requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps to unearth illegal arms," she said.

Describing the victory as remarkable, Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia said people had again reposed faith in the TC-Congress combine.

Anti-inumbency?

On the other hand, two major LF partners, RSP and Forward Bloc contended that the outcome of municipal poll was not totally unexpected.

"The result is not totally unexpected but at the same time, we did not expect such a poor showing," PWD minister and senior RSP leader Kshiti Goswami told PTI.

With the Left Front busy in tackling the situation arising out of Cyclone Aila and operations in Lalgarh by security forces, there was no time to go to the people to make them change their mind after the LF's Lok Sabha poll reverses, he said.

He also claimed anti-incumbency was a big factor. "When people have opted for change, it is difficult to check it."

For the Left Front to stage a comeback, he said "we have to take up concrete programmes, go to the people and implement them", Mr. Goswami added.

Echoing Mr. Goswami, veteran Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghose said land acquisition by the government had its repercussion.

He said "the people in the state are basically Left-minded and that is why even Trinamool Congress in its Lok Sabha poll manifesto had mentioned issues which were essentially highlighted by Left parties."