Mortoza Hossain leads the rally on the way to the district magistrate’s office to file his nomination on Monday. Picture by Sanjib Chaki

The Forward Bloc candidate of Barasat parliamentary constituency, Mortoza Hossain, filed his nomination application form on Monday. He was one of the five Left Front candidates from North 24-Parganas to do so on the same day.

Clad in white shirt, trousers and a hat, Mortoza, a former minister in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s cabinet, came to the district magistrate’s office in Barasat around 1.30pm.

Around 300 supporters accompanied him on the way. The procession started at around 12.45am from the Forward Bloc district headquarters at Champadali crossing. It moved along Jessore Road and then turned towards the district magistrate’s office, covering around a kilometre.

The procession was a colourful one with several supporters carrying thermocol cutouts of lions. Two clay idols carried on van rickshaws stood out. The lion is the official poll symbol of the Forward Bloc.

Tapan Mondal, a member of a music band was playing the drum to popular marching songs like Kadam kadam badaye ja and Pothey ebar namo sathi. Asked if he would be playing for processions of other parties too, Tapan gave a careful reply: “We are professionals. We will perform for anybody who will hire us.”

A clay lion being carried as part of the rally. (Sanjib Chaki)

Biltu Das, 32, who was pulling a van with one of the clay idols, said that he was associated with the party for the past eight years. “I am not so unfaithful as to leave the party because it is not in power. Just see what happens in the election,” said Biltu, confident of Hossain’s victory.

However not everyone was confident. As the procession passed through the roadside market adjacent to Kachhari Maidan, some bystanders pointed to the blunt teeth of the clay lions. “The teeth have become blunt by eating constantly for 34 years. After the elections, the entire set will fall off, revealing its gums,” wisecracked a youth, refusing to be identified.

While the procession ended at Kacchari Maidan, close to the district magistrate’s office, Hossain, accompanied by his election agent and two other party members, proceeded to submit the nomination.

“We have to stay extra careful as we are apprehending that Trinamul Congress workers would try to create trouble and drag me into a controversy,” said Hossein, as he walked in.

saltlake@abpmail.com