Bengal cheers for 'village boy' Pranab

Pranab Mukherjee, who seems headed towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Saturday turned nostalgic at his ancestral house in Bengal's Birbhum district.

The senior Congress leader said a chapter in his four-decade-old political career has ended after his nomination as the United Progressive Alliance's presidential candidate.

"I was directly involved in politics for a long period. My 40-year political career is at an end," said 77-year-old Mukherjee.

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He was made finance minister after UPA-II came to power in May 2009 and held the portfolios of defence and external Affairs in UPA-I.

"I am overwhelmed by the reception I have received here. I have been born here. I studied here. I am basically a village boy. Whenever I found time, I would visit my village," Mukherjee said after taking the salute at a guard of honour by the police.

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"Before beginning a new chapter in my life, I wanted to visit my village," Mukherjee, who worships Goddess Durga at his ancestral home each year, said as villagers showered petals and blew conch shells.

He took the blessings of the goddess at the temple in the courtyard of his house. As the temple is being renovated, Mukherjee took the blessings from the bamboo and straw structure that will be fashioned into the goddess.

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Thousands of people lined up on both sides of the road leading to Miriti, while tribal women danced to the beat of drums played to greet Mukherjee on his last visit to his village as the Union finance minister.

Welcome arches were erected at many places like Dankuni, Burdwan and Bolpur by the state unit of the Congress.

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The convoy stopped at many places on the 187-km journey by road from Kolkata, with Mukherjee alighting briefly to greet people with folded hands.

"I seek your blessings. Bless me," a tireless Mukherjee, who had arrived in Kolkata from Delhi on Friday, said again and again.

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Mukherjee also drove to Kirnahar village, three km from Miriti, to his elder sister Annapurna Devi's home to seek her blessings. Mukherjee is six years junior to her.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya, party leader Asit Mal, Member of Legislative Assembly and Mukherjee's son Abhijit accompanied him.

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