April 20, 2015
Trinamool campaigns to the beats of dhamsa-madol
April 19 was the last Sunday before elections to the municipalities in the district of South 24-Parganas takes place. On April 25, 23 municipalities (comprising 587 wards) of the district are going for polls. And being the last holiday, the campaigning was at the highest pitch, and the most cheerful. Traditional culture formed an integral part of the campaigning.
Dancers and musicians thronged the venues and streets, doing their best to literally drum up support for candidates; traditional percussion instruments like dhamsa and madal were used to the fullest. Women in traditional dance costumes added a dash of colour and extravaganza. Also, candidates and party workers took out processions in autos and totos (a new addition this time), with party flags stuck on them. Of course, there were also the door-to-door campaigns.
Campaigning with dhamsa-madol in North 24 Parganas
Among the parties, Trinamool was easily the most visible one. Its senior leaders spread out in all the municipalities, ensuring no stones were left unturned. On Sunday evening, Trinamool MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien took part in road shows in 23 wards of Ashoknagar Kalyangarh municipality in support of candidates.
Abhishek Banerjee at Ashoknagar
Another MP, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar was also there in some of the municipalities. The same went for state cabinet minister, Jyotipriya Mallick and Dr Shashi Panja, the latter having campaigned in Madhyamgram.
Road show by Ghatal MP, Dev
Senior MP Saugata Roy and cabinet minister, and noted theatre actor, Bratya Basu campaigned for the Trinamool candidate of ward number 12 of South Dum Dum Municipality. In the evening, massive cheerful processions were taken out in all wards of all the municipalities. Thus ended a successful day of campaigning.
Suvendu Adhikari in Egra
