A cool breeze blew across the sprawling Dumurjola Sports Complex on the outskirts of Howrah on Friday afternoon, bringing some relief from the relentless heat assaulting Kolkata and its adjoining areas for the past week.
The wind was so strong that it rudely pulled the pallu of Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee’s trademark white saree over her face, obliterating her vision for a few seconds. A supporter moved in with lightening speed to pin the errant piece of clothing firmly behind her head.
Was this symbolic of the wind of change Mamata wants to bring in West Bengal? Even prime minister Manmohan Singh talked about change when he took the dais after Mamata on a sultry Friday afternoon at their first-ever joint election rally in West Bengal. “Do you want change?” Mamata thundered.
As her speech reached a crescendo, the Trinmool leader’s ability to rouse her audiences came to the fore. “Aar na, aar na janaganer kanna (We do not want to see tears of the masses any more),” she said, sending her supporters into a tizzy.
The PM’s speech was, however, tamer. Probably, the possible need for Left support after the elections had an impact on his speech. Singh did not exactly echo Mamata’s anti-West Bengal government tirade. In fact, exchange of words between the two leaders was also limited.
During his 20-minute speech, Singh observed that the Congress-Trinamool seat-sharing agreement was an ideal alliance to fight the Left Front in West Bengal. Interestingly, he called upon the people to “strengthen Sonia Gandhi’s hand”, but did not mention Mamata. “I completely agree with the Congress’s report card, highlighting the economic backwardness of the West Bengal government under Left rule and so I think it is time for change in West Bengal,” was all Singh allowed himself to say against the state government.
Also present was Union external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, who like Singh, avoided Left-bashing. His election call was restricted to an appeal to stop the division of secular votes.
