Kamal Ghorui
KOLKATA: Crown gone. Fortress laid bare. Less than 24 hours after BJP’s Bengal sweep – and shocking defeat of Mamata Banerjee in bastion Bhowanipore – a quieter, but equally symbolic, shift unfolded on the streets.The elaborate security grid that for years defined the approach to Didi’s home at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in nearby Kalighat began to dissolve with striking speed. Along Harish Chatterjee Street, near Hazra crossing, metal scissor barricades that once carved the road into controlled corridors were dragged aside and stacked along the edges.The police personnel who regulated entry, stopping residents and passers-by for questioning, were conspicuously absent by morning.
For locals, the transformation was immediate, almost disorienting. “We had to slow down, answer questions and carry Aadhaar cards. Relatives had to take detours and we often alerted the cops in advance about their arrival,” said a neighbour of Mamata.Tarun Chatterjee, another resident of the lane, rubbed his eyes in disbelief. “When I was passing by Didi’s house today, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The usual hustle and bustle were missing. Then I saw bikes and cars moving freely. As I drove past Mamata’s house, no one questioned me,” he said.Narrow alleys connecting Harish Chatterjee Street to Kalighat Road – long sealed off in the name of security – were also reopened, restoring routes that remained inaccessible for years. “It was difficult for us to enter our own homes because of the high-profile security. While we feel sad for our VVIP resident, we are also relieved,” said Sudip Karmakar, another resident.Not far away, security layers were peeled off outside the home of Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is TMC general secretary and MP. Police deployment was also scaled down outside Abhishek’s office on Camac Street in central Kolkata.The rollback of this security architecture, built since Mamata’s second term in 2016, came on the heels of a political upset few had anticipated. For more than 15 years, Bhowanipore was the unshakeable TMC fortress, where electoral contests often felt like formalities.
