So Dalmiya needed his CAB chair as badly as a man staring at the point of no return does. I needed this platform to clear my name, he said amid reports that he had offered the Commissioner of Police his opponent in the election a deal whereby he could continue for another year as president with some from the rival group also getting a share of the pie.

Part of how he swung it in his favour after this offer was rejected is still shrouded in mystery while just how hard it hit some of his detractors was clear in the CM's outburst. Buddha didn't smile but tucked in his den, Dalmiya might have had a quiet laugh. Not only did he make optimum use of the divide in the Left, he also forced reactions unbecoming of persons holding important positions.

The kind of oppo sition he was facing meant his defence had to be tighter than the one the Italian football team can think of and on top of that, Dalmiya had to win back the faith of a few significant others too. How astutely he exploited the split within the Left is evident in the fact that he got state sports minister Subhas Chakrabarty by his side. Men close to Dalmiya admit this coup wouldn't have been possible without the state's minister of youth affairs and sports.

The evil in Buddha's eyes can hardly savour this triumph. His bigger fight is against those who don't reside close to the Bay of Bengal and this force is far more united and organised than the one he has just overcome.