On match day, a calmer Dilip takes guard on ‘home wicket’

Kharagpur: Dilip Ghosh 2.0 played on match day like never before.Seeking a second term as MLA after a gap of five years, former state BJP president Ghosh conducted polls in a quiet manner, breaking away from his "usual rough and tough" image that had become sort of a brand.On Thursday, the former MP and MLA displayed both political civility and "courtesy politics", helped by none other than his TMC opponent, former MLA Pradip Sarkar. This, despite Kharagpur witnessing a few minutes of intense sloganeering between supporters of the two camps.The courtesy moment came around 4.30pm in the congested lanes of Ward 5, much within the old city limits. Ghosh was exiting booths 72 and 73 when he crossed paths with Sarkar, who was making his own rounds on a motorcycle. The rivals shared a smile and a handshake. "This is our brand of politics, and this is what we want to see across Bengal," Ghosh said, with Sarkar by his side. Sarkar echoed the sentiment: "The people will vote for whom they prefer. It is a simple matter."The interaction underscored a long-standing personal acquaintance, with Ghosh noting they worked together for 10 years despite their party affiliations. While this one moment ensured elections remained cordial, the candidates adopted vastly different strategies on the ground to try and ensure a win.Ghosh began the day with an early morning walk and voting at Serosa Stadium before settling inside the war room set up at his bungalow. "I don't need to prove I belong to Kharagpur any more than a Bengali needs to prove he eats fish and rice," he quipped. Hammering on the fact how he has made Kharagpur his home for the past eight years, Ghosh's public appearances were brief, including a breakfast of idli and sambar-vada at Dhobi Ghat and a minor exchange of snacks and chocolates with booth workers.Sarkar crisscrossed his constituency throughout the day, monitoring booths personally. The heat notwithstanding, Sarkar ensured he covered both the old and newer blocks of the city. "It is BJP that has to answer. People will not forget the damages inflicted by SIR," he said.While BJP lodged 17 complaints with the Election Commission, TMC limited its grievances to a few verbal reports regarding EVM glitches, which were promptly resolved. Kharagpur, often called "mini India" due to its diverse mix of Bengali, Telugu , Tamil, Odia and Punjabi residents, saw a robust turnout.
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