Buddhadeb drives home

The crowd had assembled hours in advance for the homecoming, which was a roadshow from Dhakuria bus stand till Garia. They packed either side of the 8-km stretch.

In his trademark dhoti and kurta, Buddhadeb stood in a black, open-top Mahindra Thar along with three CPM candidates – Sujan Chakraborty from his own Jadavpur, Shatarup Ghosh from Kasba and Madhuja Sen Roy from Tollygunge.

Three tableaux, each in favour of a candidate, led the procession of thousands. CPM workers in red caps carried the party flag chanting slogans against the present disposition. Congress members too joined the procession at various stages, and tied Congress flags to the tableaux.

The 8 km ride took two-and-a-half hours. At the end, fans jostled to catch a glimpse, some with mobile cameras ready. The moment Buddhadeb stepped down, however, his security whisked him away.

Candidate Chakraborty described the show of emotion as overwhelming. “It is an indication that people are ready to oust the TMC from Bengal. People are with the alliance and Mamata Banerjee will find it difficult to retain even her own seat,” he said.

Asked why no leading Congress leader was at the roadshow, Chakraborty said, “It is the last day of campaigning for many and thus they could not come. It is the alliance of the common people, who have come together with a common objective.”

At several points along the route, Buddhadeb and his fans had encountered loudspeakers that played songs praising Mamata Banerjee and her party. Huge posters mocked the alliance between the Left and the Congress. Where the procession ended, hundreds of TMC flags fluttered. And near there, local Trinamool leaders held a rally to speak against alleged Left atrocities of 34 years and the present alliance.

Chakraborty guessed why all that was happening. “The huge turnout has unnerved Mamata,” he said.

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