Pataldanga's Tenida roped in as mascot to whet North Kolkata's poll appetite
Times of India | 25 January 2024
KOLKATA: His EPIC, if he had one, would identify him as Bhajahari Mukherjee. But legions of his fans know him as Teni, or Tenida - he of the huge nose and even huger appetite, sometimes timid and sometimes brave, alternately silly and smart, but always the raconteur, an extraordinary teller of tall tales.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the most famous denizen of north Kolkata's Pataldanga is going to play a crucial role: use his fabled gift of the gab to encourage people to come out and vote.
Aariz Aftab, Bengal's chief electoral officer, on Wednesday unveiled author Narayan Gangopadhyay's beloved fictional character as the poll mascot of the North Kolkata constituency to urge people to come out and vote.
Rahul Majumdar, district electoral officer of North Kolkata, said they were "taking Tenida's help" because Pataldanga was also home to Gangopadhyay, his creator. The author, a tenant at 20, Pataldanga Street in the late 1940s, was a registered voter in the Jorasanko assembly constituency.
"Gangopadhyay used to cast his vote at Mitra Institution (near Sealdah)," said Majumdar. "We want to showcase Tenida as a voter, along with his gang of Habul, Kyabla and Pyala, and get them to urge voters to perform their national duty by coming out to vote."
When Tenida hits the streets, he will be seen warning Habul against shunning his voting right, lured by “rabri and chamcham, as every vote counts”. He will ask Kyabla not to be a big talker but to go out to vote, as “We are the voters of India and also the nation-builders. Use your vote, use your voice.” He will urge Pyala, a first-time voter, to cast his vote without fear, “As the ballot is stronger than the bullet.”
Rahul Majumdar, district electoral officer of north Kolkata, said they were making the effort to generate awareness because many registered in the area, particularly in Chowringhee and Jorasanko, do not turn up to vote. The plan is to run campaigns in booths, showcasing Tenida’s message — come out to vote in large numbers. Tenida, Majumdar said, would gel with people of the area as he was a typical “rowak-er adda-loving” character.
Among the seven assembly constituencies of north Kolkata, Jorasanko — where Pataldanga is located — recorded the lowest turnout, with only 49.9% in the 2021 assembly polls. The highest turnout was at Entally, with 67.9%. In the 2019 LS polls, north Kolkata had a turnout of 65.8%.
The adjoining south Kolkata LS seat had better figures, with 69.8% turnout in 2019. If Tenida is indeed able to change that for the better, it will be the perfect excuse to exclaim “De la grande Mephistopheles! Yak yak!”
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