By IANS,
Kolkata: Hundreds of people continued to throng Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence to have a glimpse of the leader, set to take over as the state’s first woman chief minister, as the Friday night celebrations of Trinamool Congress’s landslide victory stretched on into Saturday. Banerjee has asked her party workers to maintain peace.
People burst firecrackers and threw green ‘gulal’ (coloured powder) in different parts of the state in celebration Friday night as a Trinamool-led alliance routed the 34-year old Left Front government. Hundreds of firecrackers exploded in the city, lighting up the night sky.
Since Saturday morning, people at tea stalls and street corners were animatedly discussing the success of Mamata Banerjee and her party. There were debates and chats about the Trinamool’s route to power and future of Left Front as also the comparative importance and depth of the Left Front’s victory in 1977 and Trinamool’s win this time around.
Celebrations and feast were on at Kalighat area where jubilant supporters of Banerjee were joined by crowds of common people.
The security officials at Banerjee’s residence had a harrowing time controlling the crowd. Police had put up barricades and kept a watch on visitors, which included an army of media persons from India and abroad.
Banerjee came out of her residence-cum-office at around 2 p.m. and addressed the gathering.
“I offer my gratitude and congratulations to all of you. Offer your gratitude and best wishes to the people in your respective area. Behave properly with the masses. Don’t disturb anybody while you are celebrating,” she urged.
Banerjee also introduced a few of the victorious candidates to the party supporters standing outside her house.
“Erect martyrs’ columns in your areas and pay respect. Play Rabindra Sangeet (songs of Rabindranath Tagore) and Nazrulgeeti (songs composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam) in your area. But don’t disturb anybody. We will let you know the party programme from time to time,” said Banerjee.
The Trinamool-Congress-Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) alliance won a whopping 227 seats in the 294-member state assembly with the Left Front managing only 62.