'Dear Pranab Mukherjee, they probably told you Rashtrapati Bhavan has 340 rooms. There's one more, the biggest in fact: Room for improvement.' That tweet from Stereotypewriter was one of many offering advice or congratulations to our new President
Actor Anupam Kher tweeted: ‘Hope you rise above the politics of Politics in India and bring back the dignity of the President’s post.’ There was this comment from Ashwin Mushran: ‘I had no idea there was a president before him; heard some lady was living in the house.’ And from Sandip Ghose: ‘Pranab’s ascent to Rashtrapati Bhavan will devalue The Calcutta Club Presidency, which until now was the highest honour reserved for Bengalis.’
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Goodbye to all that
Also clogging timelines was the lady making her way out. Faking News tweeted: ‘Mukherjee will soon move into Rashtrapati Bhavan. Right now, Pratibha Patil is changing all the working tube-lights with fused ones.’ Mahesh Murthy added, tongue firmly in cheek: ‘Patil to leave Delhi soon for Pune. Via Bali, Tahiti, Honolulu, Vancouver, Miami, St. Barts, Corfu and Dubai.’ There was this tweet from Khamba: ‘Pratibha Patil looked like the kind of aunty who would never return your cricket ball if you knocked it inside her house.’ In the words of Amit Gadhvi: ‘President Patil, we will always remember you for sitting on Afzal Guru’s mercy plea for 5 years!’ There was also this tweet from Gaurav Chopra: ‘Right now, Pratibha Patil must be showing Pranab Mukherjee where the geyser switch is, how to switch on the water-pump, etc.’
The other candidate
And then there was the man who lost. Sateash Jain tweeted: ‘PA Sangma lacked money power, muscle power and CBI probe withdrawal power. Naturally, lost President poll to Pranab Mukherjee. Salute tenacity.’
The last word
From Bollywood star Bipasha Basu: ‘Pranab Mukherjee is our new President. Let’s see how his super sharp political mind takes India forward!’
— Lindsay Pereira is Editor, MiD DAY Onlineu00a0