By Shyam Pandharipande, IANS
Jalgaon (Maharashtra) : People dancing in gay abandon in streets to rapturous sounds of drum beats, trumpets and fire-crackers – Jalgaon city in Maharashtra erupted in celebrations as the news of Pratibha Patil's victory in the presidential poll reached her home town Saturday afternoon.
This small but wealthy city in Khandesh region, with a population of about 400,000, had its first flush of joy a little over a month ago when the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) announced the candidature of Patil, whose family is based here, for India's presidency.
It was on the top of the world Saturday as it became official she would be the country's first woman president.
"We are happy as never before – Pratibha tai (elder sister) held several high offices and never lost an election in the 45 years of her political career, but today is special for us; our joy is boundless," her younger brother G.N. Patil said.
"Hordes of festively dressed women have been out on the streets since morning drawing large, colourful rangolis all over the city, statues of great men in the city have been bedecked with garlands and huge cut-outs of Pratibha Tai have been put up at all vantage points," G.N. Patil told IANS.
His son Uday added: "We are happy not only because atya (father's elder sister in Marathi) has made it to the country's highest office but also because she is the country's first woman and the first one from Maharashtra to do so."
Jalgaon Municipal Corporation's Mahanagar Vikas Aghadi chief Narendra Patil, district Congress chief Ulhas Sable and the party's city unit chief Sanjay Garude expressed similar sentiments.
For the city's Raosaheb Rupchand Vidyalaya, popularly known as R.R. Shala, it was a proud day as Patil was a student there from 1945 to 1951.
"Pratibha tai was an ideal student who showed rare skills in organising cultural events," principal Vijay Pathak told IANS, adding that English and Sanskrit were her favourite subjects.
The whole school and its premises, particularly Patil's classroom, were tastefully decorated with festoons and rangoli designs and students expressed their joy by bursting crackers.
"All 3,000 students of the school had sent Pratibha Tai their best wishes when her candidature was announced and we are going to invite her to the alma mater," he added.
Apart from the residences of Patil and her brother, the city unit offices of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party also had celebrations as her supporters distributed sweets.