Riled at work,wild at Writers’

“We are very happy with the results and we want this red monster to go from here as soon as possible. We want exemplary punishment of the chief minister who is responsible for committing heinous crimes like snatching land from poor farmers,torture against women and children. We not only want his resignation but an exemplary punishment for him,” Samir Ranjan Majumder,joint secretary,West Bengal Government Employees’ Union,Nabaparjay,said.

He said the unions would continue to fight for their dues from the government. “This government has slapped false charges against six of our employees and started departmental proceedings against them. Their promotions have been stopped. They have also issued a circular banning rallies and meetings inside Writers’. We will fight against them,” Majumder said.

In offices,employees were seen giving congratulatory hugs to each other. Work came to a standstill as employees engaged in animated discussions on the future of the Left Front government.

However,the CPM-backed Coordination Committee of the state government employees wore a sombre look,with anxious faces huddled together to analyse the verdict that has stunned the ruling Left. “There is no leader here who can give you a reaction to the results. You come tomorrow,” an employee told The Indian Express.

Many of the ministers,including feisty Subhas Chakraborty who oversees sports and transport,and Land and Land Reforms Minister Abdur Rezaq Mollah,skipped office. The staff at their offices had no idea when they were coming back for duty.