Mamata Banerjee during Tuesday night’s inspection of the Brigade Parade Ground. Picture by Pabitra Das

Skipper Mamata Banerjee stepped on the green for a pitch inspection on Tuesday night, 48 hours before the celebration of a poll performance that pulverised the opposition.

But politician Mamata’s excitement about a possibly record-shattering martyrs’ day turnout at the Brigade Parade Ground on July 21 was tempered by administrator Mamata’s concern about the likely chaos around the venue.

“You have to make sure traffic moves,” the chief minister told city police chief R.K. Pachnanda, standing in front of the three-storey main dais on which around 50 people were still working around 7pm.

“The road towards Dalhousie gets completely clogged whenever there’s a meeting at the Brigade. And also the Park Street end. Make sure the second Hooghly bridge is clear as well,” ordered Mamata.

Commissioner Pachnanda, deputy commissioner (headquarters) Jawed Shamim and the deputy commissioners of all six police divisions in the city nodded as the chief minister rolled out her wish list. “We are here from last night. We are trying our best,” said one of the officers.

The police brass went into a huddle late on Tuesday to figure out how to keep traffic movement on Thursday to the chief minister’s liking.

Tolly star and MLA Debasree Roy, singer Rupam Islam and actress-MP Satabdi Roy were handpicked by Mamata Banerjee to perform at the martyrs’ day-cum-poll celebration rally on Thursday

It wasn’t clear whether the chief minister’s concern was more for her supporters who could get stranded if traffic wasn’t smooth or for the rest of the city, for which it is likely to be another dreaded day of disruption.

The possibility of traffic trauma has forced several schools to revise their timings (see Page 20). Many office-goers would treat it as another holiday and those who do not have that option would be better advised to steer clear of the city centre.

Her traffic concerns assuaged, Mamata asked PWD minister Subrata Bakshi: “What about the food? Where will they (the rally-goers) eat? Hope they are not cooking here.”

“No fires will be lit, we promise,” Bakshi and junior Union minister Mukul Roy chorused.

The chief minister’s concern about cooking on the Maidan stems from a high court order. There is also a court ban on parking vehicles on the green, but many of her leaders had done just that hours before she arrived.

For many, that may be a minor offence for the celebration of a “historic” election triumph. “It is going to be biggest rally ever. That is how we are going to pay tribute to our martyrs, who have all contributed to our victory,” Bakshi said.

Mamata the chief organiser then sat under a tent behind the main dais with a small notepad, ticking the boxes in her list of must-dos.

“Has the plastic sheet been bought?” Check.

“Have the night shelters been arranged?” Check.

She did not make a song and dance about it, but entertainment wasn’t far from Mamata’s mind either.

The chief minister has lined up a song-and-dance medley for Thursday, starring an MLA and an MP. Tolly stars-turned-politicians Debasree Roy and Satabdi Roy will dance to tunes picked by the chief minister for the show.

“Didi called me a few days ago and told me ‘Debasree, ekush tarikhey nachtey hobe tomai (you will have to dance on the 21st)’. So I will be dancing to two songs that were picked by Didi: one a Rabindrasangeet and the other an old adhunik song. They are both very popular and based on nature — phool, mati, akaash — but I can’t name them now,” MLA Debasree told Metro.

Polly Guha is directing the show that will also include a dozen boys and girls from the Debasree’s troupe.

“When there are talented performers within the party, why should we hire performers for the victory celebrations?” Birbhum MP Satabdi quoted Mamata as saying.

She will be dancing to Dhitang dhitang bole and Tagore’s Aamra nuton jouboner-i doot (We are the harbingers of new youth).

Mamata wanted her to wear the sari like tribal girls do and decorate her hair with leaves and flowers for Dhitang dhitang, but Satabdi will stick to a sari with Maa-Mati-Manush printed on it along with the Trinamul symbol for both songs.

“I can’t dress like a tribal for the second song as changing costumes would be a problem,” she said.

Nobody could recall another instance of elected representatives dancing on a public platform in Bengal.

An audience of a few lakh at a show would make many nervous, but not Debasree. “The numbers don’t matter. I was born a dancer,” she smiled.

Satabdi was apprehensive, though. “I will be a bit uncomfortable before people from my constituency because I maintain a different image there (Birbhum). But both the songs are decent and have been selected by Didi. She told me: ‘Many distinguished people will come this time and they should all be happy seeing the show.’ It’s a huge responsibility.”