One-Mamata army

The Trinamool Congress is trying to distance Mamata Banerjee from anything wrong with the party, and is banking on her charisma to retain West Bengal

- BY PREMA RAJARAM

If nothing else, she is a fighter. She hit the streets to end the historic left rule in Bengal, made a car giant take a U-turn out of the state and even defended her turf against the mighty Modi wave. For crores of Bengalis, she is first their didi and then a politician. And it is this connect that has kept her in the chief minister's chair for 15 years.

The Trinamool Congress knows that it is her face that wins votes, irrespective of the candidates the party puts up. And it is this image of the leader that it is projecting—a protector of Bengali culture taking on outsiders (BJP leaders) who don't understand what the state stands for.

The BJP, in reply, claims Banerjee has ruined the state with lack of industry, jobs and employment. And this seems to be persuading a lot of voters. From three seats in the 2016 assembly elections with a 10.3 per cent vote share, to 77 in 2021 with a 38.1 per cent vote share, the BJP has grown fast in the state.

“Her appeasement politics did not benefit the Muslims; she did not give them jobs and there is no development,” said leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, once a Trinamool heavyweight.

A hot topic in Bengal this election season is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls. The BJP is for the exercise—which weeds out illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Rohingyas from Myanmar—and has accused Banerjee of shielding these infiltrators for vote bank politics.