The verdict on Harish Chatterjee Street

It looks like just another street, marked by Bhowanipore's old world charm. Old houses stand cheek-by-jowl with new apartment blocks, ramshackle garages vie for space with telebhaja shops. Only the security cover around one house on the road tells you that this is a very special mohalla. “What are you doing here?“ a plainclothes officer comes up and asks our photographer.We explain our assignment, only to be told that we have to stay away from the `secure zone'.
This is Harish Chatterjee street, Didi's para, from where she began her victory march to Writers' Buildings five years back. Bengal has seen many dreams fulfilled and quite a few dashed since then. But what has chief minister Mamata Banerjee's locality gone through, even as she hopes and prepares for another victory march -this time to Nabanna? CT feels the pulse of Harish Chatterjee Street a day ahead of the Assembly poll results.
HOW DO I CARE WHO WINS?
I am a native of Bihar and I relocated here over a decade back. I have never voted since then. No one bothered to ask me as well. I had once tried to enrol my name in the voters' list here, but since I did not have all the papers, I couldn't get it done. No one from the party helped me. I remember seeing Didi often earlier and she used to be a regular at para activities. Now I see her getting mobbed, either by the media or by locals. She is not as accessible as before.I have no views on who should come to power because I know my world is this garage and it is going to remain the same.Ke jitlo ke harlo, tate amar ki?
-BIJOY THAKUR, GARAGE MECHANIC
SHE DID NOT BECOME DIDI IN ONE DAY
A woman fighting all odds in our patriarchal society, what else do I need to support her? Onar jaygay, tumi thakle, tomakeo sup port kortam. Mamata Banerjee did not become Didi in a day. It took her a lot of effort. She used to come with a bajarer thole to the ration shop. My family -late wife, my son and I -have seen her pass through many ups and downs in life. Her down-to-earth nature makes me believe that she will be back at the top post.
-MANIK KAR, PARA RESIDENT
WILL MY FAMILY GET BEATEN UP?
After the Narada sting and the flyover col lapse, I can't comment on how clean TMC men are. Of course we're angry, but what can we do? Je ashe Lonkay sei hoy Rabon! Whom can we believe? What are the options in the opposition? There is no suitable per son apart from Didi for CM. I had worked as a domestic help at her (Mamata Banerjee's) place. Now I have my own shop. I've said what I feel, but God knows what will happen when you print this. Will my family get beaten up? Bhoy laage kichhu bolte.
-SARITA SHAW, RICE HOTEL OWNER
I WANT HER BACK IN POWER
Did has done a great job and I want her back in power. On a spicy note, she is fond of deep fried fuluri and we use our best masalas when there's an order from her house. She has a thing for red chilli aloo dum and kachauri, but the number of orders have been cut down as everybody has become health conscious. We take special care when there is an order from her.
-TAPAS, TELEBHAJA SELLER
PUBLIC MONEY IS WASTED EVERYWHERE
I've been living here for over 40 years and I'm not afraid of speaking the truth. Good and bad elements are there in every political party, but where is development? These roads remain under water for days in the monsoons. We get drinking water for just two hours a day. Public money is being wasted everywhere. The KMC water van comes to water the trees, but do you know what they've been doing here? They wash private cars for people for just `40! I am so done with all this. I have only one request to our CM, if you are coming to power again, don't take us for granted.
-SOMA HALDER* (NAME CHANGED ON REQUEST), EMPLOYEE OF A MULTINATIONAL COMPANY