IMAGES: Celebrations break out outside Mamata's home

Image: Trinamool supporters celebrate outside Mamata Banerjee's house in Kolkata
Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty/Rediff.com Indrani Roy Mitra in Kolkata

It seemed as if the entire population of Kolkata had descended on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's Harish Chatterjee Street residence on Friday morning.

Trinamool Congress candidates were simply ecstatic. Rightly so.

It should not be forgotten that the TMC is set to gain a majority on its own, without its election ally Congress. This is expected to set to rest the infamous 'tussle' between the TMC and Congress in West Bengal and also lend Banerjee's party important political mileage at the central level.

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Complete Coverage: Assembly Elections 2011

It's time for firecrackers and green gulal

Image: Banerjee's supporters shout slogans
Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty/Rediff.com

Naturally, therefore, the TMC supporters were smearing green gulal on each other and flaunting the 'V' sign as first trends indicated a landslide victory for TMC and a rout for the Left Front.

Firecrackers were burst initially by overjoyed TMC supporters but they were 'banned' soon by a stern diktat from Didi's andarmahal (from inside the house).We attempted to speak to some TMC supporters but it was absolutely impossible to initiate a conversation amid the din.

People's victory: Mamata

Image: Trinamool supporters show the victory sign in Kolkata
Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty/Rediff.com

Each one was on a single mission, that of catching a glimpse of their idol -- Mamata Banerjee -- but in vain.

She, it is heard, was parleying with some of her closest aides. Perhaps, she was busy mapping her role as the first woman chief minister of West Bengal.

As soon as early trends indicated a clear win for the Trinamool-Congress combine, Banerjee told Press Trust of India that she would be happy with a people's victory in West Bengal.

"We thank the people with all humbleness. This victory belongs to ma mati manush. This victory will usher in joy in Bengal. It's a moment of happiness. Let's all remember the martyrs who laid down their lives for the last three decades. We salute them," she said.

Supporters go hysterical

Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty/Rediff.com

The same tone was echoed by TMC loyalists thronging her residence. "Aamra, aamra, aamra (we, we, we)," cried a youth in his mid-thirties while a middle-aged man standing next to him blew the conch shell for almost 10 minutes without a break.

"Ma, mati, manush," a woman kept shouting, almost hysterically. It was celebration time at Banerjee's residence.

A big pandal was set up in the vicinity on Thursday itself, anticipating the TMC win, to accommodate journalists, supporters and visitors when the party would hold a press conference on Friday afternoon.

Silence at the CPI-M headquarters

Image: CPI-M's 34-year-old rule is set to come to an end in Bengal
Photographs: Reuters

In sharp contrast to Banerjee's home, the Communist Party of India-Marxist headquarters at central Kolkata's Alimuddin Street wore a deserted look. The 34-year-old Left Front regime was coming to an end. It would be interesting to listen to

CPI-M state chief Biman Bose will be addressing the media later on Friday afternoon. Since Bose had 'predicted' a 'comfortable' win for the Left on Thursday, one would be all ears to know how he explains this debacle.

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