Dev, Soham — actors on TMC stage, leaders off it

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Soham, in his speech of less than five minutes, defended his party in the Narada sting scam by calling it a conspiracy of the Opposition. He went on to claim that Congress and Left Front’s electoral understanding won’t make a mark.

Next came Roy. His speech was interrupted intermittently by the members of the crowd cheering for Dev and even breaking bamboo barricades to get close to him. “Shudhu haath narle hobe na (Only waving your hands won’t be enough). You will have to ensure that it reflects in the ballot box on April 11,” Roy told the gathering.

At one point, the district Trinamool president had to announce that Dev would not speak if the people did not behave. Roy’s speech soon ended.
Then came Dev, welcomed by a thunderous applause. “Looking at the turnout, I am sure Soham has already won. People in Bengal are literate and politically aware. I am not asking you to vote for anyone in particular. But before voting, you must ask yourself which party has done what for you,” the actor-turned-politician said.

Dev was at the rally venue for overall 20 minutes. Before he left, he walked around the barricade of the temporary helipad to interact with fans. “I was hoping he would sing a song from Paglu,” said a teenager after the rally.