Debojit Saha waves to the crowd from the open vehicle in Guwahati on Thursday. Picture by S.H. Patgiri

Guwahati, Feb. 9: One thousand cars and bikes escorting the hero home in an open vehicle. A couple of thousands of people lining the roads to welcome him. It?s the President or Shah Rukh Khan, right?

Wrong, it?s Debojit. Debojit Saha, who has shot into the limelight with magical performances in a television show whose mega finals will be held on February 24.

Debojit may still be one step away from becoming the ?voice of India? but his status as Assam?s latest pin-up hero was confirmed today. And in a manner which would have left even the biggest stars of Bollywood green with envy.

But that is only half the story. What has gone unnoticed is the fact that Debojit?s success has erased the divide between the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley in a manner not seen in recent memory.

From Sadiya to Dhubri, in all small and big towns, people have come out on the streets seeking votes for Debojit through SMS and telephone calls ?the yardsticks for winning in the reality show.

And the results are there for everyone to see. Lakhs and lakhs of votes from the state and the Northeast, which have left every other participant in the TV show a distant second. Even organisations like the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has found a role model for the youth as it held a reception for the singer here.

The welcoming party was spectacular, to say the least. A motorcade consisting of nearly 1,000 cars and bikes feted Debojit in a procession from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport with the singer in an open vehicle. Thousands of people ? young and old alike ? lined up the road for a glimpse of the man who has fuelled their dreams.

Ecstatic teenagers chanted ?Debojit, Debojit? all the way on his first visit to the city after he shot into the limelight. Today?s reception was organised by the AASU and the Northeast Students Organisation (Neso).

?I am simply speechless. I have no words to thank my fans for showering me with love and adulation and making it possible for me to reach the final round of the musical show,? said Debojit, addressing the media. ?I hope my fans continue to support me and help me win the contest.?

Originally from Silchar, Debojit left a government job in North Cachar Hills, to seek glory as a singer in the cut-throat world of Mumbai four years back. He was a civil engineer at the Public Works Department (roads).

?Through music, Debojit has proved that another India exists beyond the frontiers of Calcutta,? said Samujjal Bhattacharyya, adviser of AASU. ?He has made this possible through his music and hope the region will stand together to make him the winner.?

Echoing him, Artex Simray, adviser of Neso, said the region has a pool of talent but they hardly get a chance to prove their mettle.

Debojit reached the finals along with fellow competitor Vineet Singh of Lucknow by garnering 50 lakh votes, from SMS and phone calls, highest by any participant in the show till date.

Prodded on the controversy in the last few rounds of the contest ? when musical mentors of fellow participants ? Himesh Reshamiya and Aadesh Srivastava protested the counting of votes from home states, Debojit tried to skirt the issue.

?I took part in the show to perform well and the support from my fans from my home state and the region has helped me reach this far,? said Debojit, who was accompanied by his wife Vandana. ?I was a non-entity when I left my state, but today when everyone greeted me on the road, I was almost on the verge of tears.?

He wound up his day at Rabindra Bhawan where he belted out a few popular Bollywood numbers for his fans at a felicitation ceremony.