Outside Mamata's residence, it literally rains green

Kolkata, May 19: Even the rain gods seemed to smile on West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress as the party appeared set to retain power with a two-thirds majority in West Bengal on Thursday.

It literally rained green outside chief minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence in south Kolkata where party workers and supporters celebrated the electoral triumph by smearing green 'abeer' -- the dry colour used in holi festival -- on one another's faces and blowed conch shells.

"It is a victory against conspiracy. There was an attempt to divide people based on Narada. It is a true victory," said a party worker drenched in rain and daubed in green.

He was referring to the purported sting operation conducted by the news portal Narada that showed a number of Trinamool Congress leaders accepting wads of currency notes in return for doling out favours to a fictitious company.

Others satirised the Narada sting expose, asking "Kothae gelo Narada" (Where is Narada?).

A devoted party worker proclaimed Banerjee, a contestant from the Bhabanipur constituency, as "a symbol of honesty".

The rumble of thunder, pitter-patter of rain and the cool atmosphere only seemed to reinforce Banerjee's pet electioneering slogan "Thanda Thanda Cool Cool, Jitbe Abar Trinamool" (Keep Calm, Trinamool is coming to power again).

IANS