Dalmiya after the win. (Gautam Bose)

July 29: Unseating A.C. Muthiah as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, that too in his own backyard, in 2001, was huge for Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Thrashing Prasun Mukherjee 71-47 in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) elections this evening, though, has to rank higher.

Dalmiya, however, chose not to compare the two.

Speaking to The Telegraph after nearly tripping, thanks to the unruly behaviour of some slogan-shouting supporters (who were more intent on being ‘caught’ by TV cameras), he said: “That win was for power, I wanted to be the BCCI president…. This one is for cricket…. There’s a big difference.”

Weighed down by garlands and bouquets (the presentations were accompanied by the touching of feet and many embraces), an emotional Dalmiya added: “Cricket in the state needs me, that’s why I’m back. I’ll require a couple of days to sit down with colleagues and, then, chalk out plans.

“Initially, I wanted to make a comeback so that I could emerge without a blemish (reference to the cases slapped by the BCCI), but that changed once Bengal got relegated to the Plate Division in the Ranji Trophy. Nothing personal is a priority…. Today, there’s much work to do.”

Given the mess left behind by Mukherjee and Co. that’s an understatement.

For his part, Mukherjee told the media: “The members wanted Dalmiya back and this mandate is overwhelmingly in his favour. I have nothing to say and I congratulate Dalmiya and wish him all the best.”

That the loss hurt him came through when he added: “But this result is unexpected for me and I have not really understood why this happened…. I don’t want to go into the reasons.”

What has made the victory even sweeter for Dalmiya is that his entire panel got through. In other words, a rout for Mukherjee.

Actually, Dalmiya defeated Mukherjee for the second time in as many contests.

The first was in 2006, five months before being banned by the BCCI and having to vacate the president’s chair.

That the Dalmiya camp was confident of at least 70 votes was reported in these columns this morning.

There were apprehensions that both candidates for the joint-secretary posts — Biswarup Dey and Arun Mitra — might not win, but they did. In the event, Samar Paul (a joint-secretary under Mukherjee) also lost.

Dey and treasurer Bablu Ganguly, in fact, each got 75 votes. Obviously, personal equations played a big part.

According to well-placed sources, Mukherjee cut a sorry figure even on the floor of the house, getting little support from colleagues.

The ruling group was flayed on many fronts, from Bengal’s relegation to questionable payments to the accounts of the seven Indian Premier League matches at the Eden.

The missiles were mainly fired by Goutam Das Gupta, Chitrak Mitra and Naresh Ojha. Apparently, some from the districts, too, were very cut up.

Das Gupta and Mitra, Maidan veterans both, had masterminded Dalmiya’s campaign.

With Dalmiya winning the one election he had to in order to gradually again become relevant in the BCCI, some of those who had turned their backs on him in his hour of crisis are bound to lose sleep.

It will be interesting to see how the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI reacts.

While Pawar’s successor has already been chosen, there are differences between his men over who should be the next secretary.

On the face of it, then, Dalmiya’s comeback has been at a pretty good time.