By IANS,
Kolkata : Slogans rang out, green ‘gulaal’ hung in the air and some cried with joy at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s residence Friday, with poll trends indicating a landslide victory for the party in alliance with the Congress in the once impregnable Red fortress of West Bengal.
Party workers confident of sweeping the polls thronged Banerjee’s residence at South Kolkata’s Harish Chatterjee Street from different parts of the state since dawn. Security was beefed up in and around the house, a tiled single-storey structure in a narrow lane close to the Kalighat temple.
An air of festivity also prevailed across the city as the news of Trinamool candidates leading by big margins flashed across the news channels.
The environment turned green as Trinamool supporters showered green ‘gulaal’, or coloured powder, on each other and offered sweets. A few even broke into tears of joy as news spread that ‘didi’ (elder sister) would become the next chief minister.
The street had been decorated with green-coloured lights. Green is regarded as the colour of Trinamool while red represents the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
Several party workers also rushed to the Kali temple in Kalighat to offer prayers to goddess Kali.
Party supporters also used firecrackers to add fuel to the celebrations but the bursting of firecrackers was stopped on Banerjee’s instructions.
Police had put up barricades and kept a watch on visitors, who included an army of mediapersons from across India and even abroad. Every nook and corner of the locality has been decorated with giant cardboard cutouts of the party chief and the party’s “two leaves” election symbol.
Several TV sets and chairs were arranged near Banerjee’s house to accommodate the increasing rush of party supporters.
There were unending slogans of “Maa Mati Manush” (Mother, Soil, People) – Banerjee’s pet slogan.
A control room has been opened in the house where senior party leaders, including Mukul Roy and Derek O’Brien, are monitoring the results on television sets.
Votes for elections to the 294-member assembly were counted Friday.