Siliguri streets flooded with Prashant Tamang fans

Prashant Tamang can depend on a lot of votes from Siliguri.

Hundreds of fans of Prashant took to the streets today, holding up posters and banners, organising rallies and campaigning in favour of the Indian Idol contender. The final round of voting starts this evening after the two remaining contestants, Prashant and Amit Paul, perform one last time.

Amit, too, has a Siliguri connection, having spent his childhood years here before shifting to Shillong. However, the few posters and banners in his support seemed to be swamped by those in Prashant’s favour.

Members of Netrabindu Club of Salugara, who have formed a Prashant Fan Club, took out a bike and car rally across the city this afternoon.

“We are confident that he will emerge as the winner,” said club member Pankaj Pradhan. “Nevertheless, we don’t want to take any chances and want to ensure that people send more votes.”

With 65 motorcycles and 10 cars, the 500-odd rallyists also went to the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited office to request for uninterrupted power supply when the show is telecast on Sony this evening.

“We have also requested officials of BSNL and other cellphone service providers to keep their lines clear so that people can vote as much as they want to when voting begins today,” Pradhan said.

Bengal urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya came out strongly in support of the hill talent.

“Like all his fans, I too want to see him emerge as the winner. His mellifluous voice has indeed mesmerised me,” the minister said.

BSNL authorities and other mobile phone service providers are playing safe.

“Since thousands of messages will hit our 50-odd base trans-receiving stations in the hills once the voting lines open, we have increased their capacity by three times,” said M.K. Nandi, the subdivisional engineer (public relations) of the Siliguri telecom district of BSNL. “In addition, all the 47 telephone exchanges in the hills have been put on alert. Employees have been deputed with necessary spares to avoid any problem.”

BSNL officials requested Prashant fans not to get impatient if there is a delay in getting the delivery reports of SMS votes. “Once a vote is sent, it will surely be delivered,” said an official.

Other mobile service providers, too, said they are ready to handle the messages that their customers would send in favour of the “new hero of Darjeeling”.

Source: The Telegraph