Bengal politicos get drenched in colours of Holi for votes

Cutting across party lines, politicians on Wednesday came out on the streets in their constituencies using the festival of Holi to reach out to the people for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

Participating in colourful processions, organising community celebrations, distributing sweets and going door to door greeting the people, the candidates in the fray are using the festivities to get closer to the masses.

Among the many politicians to daub the colours of Holi or Dol Yatra as it is called in the state, was actress and BJP nominee Roopa Ganguly and her rival from the Trinamool Congress, former Bengal cricket stalwart Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

Both Ganguly and Shukla joined the Holi revellers in their bid to woo the voters.

Caught up in a controversy over a sting operation alleging his involvement in a bribery scandal, city mayor and Trinamool candidate from Behala East Sovon Chatterjee appeared unperturbed as he smeared colours on residents of his constituency and distributed sweets.

Sovandeb Chattopadhya, another Trinamool heavyweight, was all green in the face celebrating Holi with voters in Rashbehari, his constituency.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) young gun Satarup Ghosh joined his voters in Kasba constituency for the celebrations. In tune with his party colour, Ghosh had red gulaal smeared on his face.

"This year we have Holi on two days - one is today and another one will be May 19 (day results of the polls will be declared) when the entire state will be daubed in red," said Ghosh.