Party cadres spend quiet weekend, wait for voters’ cue and focus on final-day plan

Kolkata: It was a busy Sunday for the political party workers — especially the counting agents — hours before the counting of votes began across Bengal.

For the Trinamool Congress, there was a big checklist. Those in Rashbehari and Bhowanipore constituencies attended meetings post 6 pm. "We have been asked to carry clothes and stay at a banquet near Deshapriya Park. If we stay together, we cannot be harassed by central forces or the police. We will report to the counting centre by 5 am," said a counting agent for the ruling party.



The Trinamool Congress instructed all its workers to report for counting with Form 18 (the appointment letter), ECI ID card, voter ID and Aadhaar card, Form 17C (carrying voting details from each booth), a torch (for possible load-shedding), a calculator, a pen and a printed sheet provided by party for calculating the votes polled.

Debabrata Roy, a Trinamool worker, said, "We have been asked to challenge the moment we find that the lead is below 1,000 despite multiple rounds," said Roy. Bhowanipore is likely to begin counting with Ward 63, with Ward 77 scheduled in the last three of the 20 rounds. Rashbehari is likely to have 18 rounds of counting, said sources.

One TMC worker from north Kolkata said, "We are busy focusing on our final-day plans and what we need to do inside the counting centres because BJP is trying to create trouble so that they can tamper with the election results. We are discussing how vigilance must continue until the announcement of victory."

Avirup Chakraborty, a TMC worker from Entally, said, "We are winning, there is no doubt about that, but this time it is muted because they have spread fear among people. However, people have made a silent revolution by voting against BJP." Manisankar Mandal, another TMC worker from Mograhat, said, "People and our workers have chosen to remain silent until the results are out because they have seen how much torture the BJP can inflict. We will form the govt for the fourth time."

The BJP too spent a busy Sunday training its workers. BJP state committee member Anupam Ghosh, who was given the responsibility to look into party management in three Assembly constituencies of Sagar, Kakdwip and Patharpratima, said that all preparations were taken for the big day. "We have been assembling all the polling agents, and providing them last-minute training. We advised them not to fall prey to any provocation," he said.

However, BJP workers said they were also keeping quiet after witnessing post-poll violence. One BJP worker said, "People of Bengal want change this time and they have voted for BJP. We are preparing for celebrations on Monday."

Tamoghno Ghosh, a BJP senior north Kolkata functionary, said, "Our party workers are ready for celebrations, but they are silent due to fear of TMC hooligans."