The BJP-backed rally at Esplanade on Tuesday

BJP

Route: College Square to Esplanade

Turnout: 4,000

Distance covered: 2.5km

Declared reason: “The ruling party used its clout to organise a rally (on Friday) to protect thieves. We called this rally to demand the right to nab the thieves,” state BJP chief Rahul Sinha said.

Faces spotted: Magician P.C. Sorcar (Jr), actors George Baker and Joy Banerjee, industrialist Shishir Bajoria, former IPS officers R.K. Handa and R.K. Mohanty, ex-footballer Sasthi Duley and Calcutta police commissioner’s wife Sharmistha Kar Purkayastha.

People missing: Almost the entire Tolly brigade and the culture clan. Most are still close to the ruling establishment.

Rally chant: The protesters marched silently for 45 minutes, carrying placards and posters against the Mamata government and calling for a change of guard in Bengal in the 2016 Assembly polls.

Feel: After the rally started at 2pm and marched ahead, many lawyers, teachers, doctors and retired bureaucrats joined in. Unlike the Trinamul show on Friday, participation seemed spontaneous and there was no gag order on the marchers. “I am happy to have been able to join the protest despite a knee-replacement surgery three months ago,” said Ahibhushan Haldar, an 81-year-old retired WBCS officer who walked the entire length.

Organisers’ claim: “The turnout was satisfactory. The spontaneity was encouraging and we are hopeful that the rally will have an impact in the rest of the state,” said Baker, one of the organisers.

Rival barb: “I wonder who walked in today’s rally. These are attempts to confuse people. I am sure neither the members of the culture clan nor the people will fall into the trap,” said Subrata Mukherjee, the panchayat minister.

The CPM rally in front of Victoria House in Esplanade on Tuesday

CPM

Route: Victoria House to College Square

Turnout: 8,000.

Distance covered: 2.5km

Declared reason: The CPM’s Calcutta district committee called the march to protest the Saradha scam.

Faces spotted: Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (did not walk), other prominent CPM leaders such as Biman Bose, Surjya Kanta Mishra, Shyamal Chakraborty, Manab Mukherjee and Rabin Deb, and filmmaker Tarun Mazumdar.

People missing: Familiar faces at CPM’s protest shows such as Arindam Sil and Subodh Sarkar, who have shifted allegiance to Trinamul. Some old loyalists such as poet Sankha Ghosh, actor Soumitra Chatterjee and filmmaker Mrinal Sen.

Rally chant: Before the protesters started the procession, leader of Opposition Mishra and CPM state secretary Bose set the tone by demanding the arrest of Mamata and Trinamul leaders whose names have cropped up in connection with the Saradha scam. “Chor dhorechhe CBI, jail-e jabe Didibhai (The CBI has arrested the thieves, Didi will go to jail),” shouted the comrades. The protesters burnt an effigy of Mamata.

Feel: It was an out-and-out CPM show with leaders and cadres hitting the streets to make their presence felt ahead of the crucial municipal polls. “For the past three years, we have been trying to raise our voice against the Trinamul government. It is good to see that our leaders have realised that we need to be seen on the streets,” said a CPM cadre.

Organisers’ claim: “Only our comrades participated in the rally. We did not have any outsider to make up for numbers. Definitely, more people participated in our rally than the one held in the afternoon by another party,” Mishra said, referring to the BJP procession.

Rival barb: “For 34 years, they ruled the state. Now they must go to sleep. The CPM does not have the strength to tackle even our student and youth wings,” said Mukherjee, the minister.

The Trinamul rally in Calcutta on Friday. Pictures by Sanat Kr Sinha and Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Trinamul

Route: Nandan to Academy of Fine Arts

Turnout: 800

Distance covered: 500m

Declared reason: “Jogenda (Jogen Chowdhury), Bratya (Basu) — they will walk in a rally on November 28 against the Centre’s discrimination and canards against us. Actors, writers, singers, poets and artistes will walk without any banner or flag. Arindam (Sil), Indranil (Sen) and Shrikant (Mohta) will organise it,” Mamata had announced on November 24.

Faces spotted: Tollywood B-listers seen in various programmes of Mamata and members of various body-building, karate and other clubs.

People missed: Some of the prominent faces — poet Sankha Ghosh, theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty and painters Suvaprasanna and Jogen Chowdhury — who were by Mamata’s side during her anti-land acquisition protests.

Rally chant: On the day of the rally, the organisers rolled out three main reasons — to protest the attack on Bengal’s culture, the BJP’s attempts to create communal disharmony and the Centre’s apathy towards Bengal.

Feel: It was clear that the show lacked spontaneity. The main organisers were seen working their cellphones to get people for the rally. The participants were repeatedly reminded not to speak to the media.

Organisers’ claim: “People had said the rally would not be successful…. The turnout has proved them wrong,” Sil said.

Rival barb: “Their rally was held in support of thieves and that’s why the participants did not have anything to say. There was total confusion on why people had come. So the participants dodged questions and ran away,” said Sinha, the BJP state president.