Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee's 'magic' worked once again for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal as the party won 29 of the 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state, leaving the BJP reduced to 12, up from its previous count. Six seats are less. The saffron camp was restricted to less than 39 percent of the votes.
Although Banerjee credited the victory to the people of the state and called the results "people's rejection of those who oppose Bengal", there is no doubt that the leader's political charisma, his street fighting image and his fierce anti-BJP stance The opposition did a wonderful job of retaining him. The confidence of his followers allowed him to almost repeat TMC's 2021 state election performance despite a clear anti-incumbency wave.
What appears to have worked in Banerjee's favour, apart from the personal popularity she has managed to retain more or less, is the 'profit politics' she actively pursued during her tenure in state power, Which clearly obscured the anti-incumbency wave that was arising on a large scale.Allegations of corruption and forceful suppression of opposition voices. Beneficiaries of 'Lakshmi Bhandar' and 'Kanyashree' projects, including several other projects, who have doubled up as voters in the state, have given Banerjee a thumbs up.
It seems he ignored the fact that many TMC supremo leaders are in jail, central investigative agencies are breathing down the neck of many others including his nephew Abhishek Banerjee and sanctions on central funds, Who have allegedly derailed the welfare schemes of the state.
What Banerjee, with the support of her successor Abhishek, managed to achieve through her tireless election campaigns in Bengal, of which there were more than a hundred in the last three months, was to convey that message to the people in her characteristic style and demeanor. .In the process, he openly as well as played the victim card and promoted his own kind of sub-nationalism by cementing his image as a protector of the people from those who were "outsiders" to the state.In many ways, 2024 was a redux of 2021 for Banerjee with a similar approach to the elections and similar results.
Since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, where the Trinamool Congress won 19 seats in Bengal, up from its previous tally of just one seat, for all practical purposes elections in the state have been fought around the aura and popularity of Mamata Banerjee. The parliamentary elections marked the highest point of Banerjee's political career, where she captured 34 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. She will perhaps be best remembered for successfully resisting the BJP juggernaut in the 2021 state elections. , an election where the saffron camp put in all its might with a campaign intensity never seen before and massive defections from the TMC camp to snatch at least 200 seats in the state.
Under the leadership of Banerjee's tireless campaigns, a significant part of which was conducted within a wheelchair due to an injury sustained during her campaign in Nandigram, and the election strategies devised by the party's election-consultancy agency, the TMC won 215 seats. Ended up with. Limiting BJP to 77.
Although the BJP managed to increase its seat share manifold from its previous tally of only three seats and established itself as the sole opposition on the floor of the Assembly, Banerjee and Abhishek were expected to deal a shocking blow to the BJP's political aspirations in the state. Credit given.But Banerjee has rarely had a moment of peace since then. While his party is dogged by allegations of rampant corruption in all sectors - from recruitment in schools and municipal bodies to ration distribution, coal and cattle smuggling - its top leaders, convicted by courts in several scams, have been arrested and detained. Was taken and put in jail. Jail.
Additionally, and to the continued displeasure of Banerjee, who has repeatedly accused the BJP of indulging in "political vendetta", central investigative agencies have conducted a large number of raids on residences, offices and premises linked to senior Trinamool Congress leaders. And have interrogated him in relation to these alleged allegations. Irregularities.
But it is the investigation by agencies and courts on Banerjee's nephew and party's alleged second-ranking leader Abhishek and his family members that has perhaps troubled the TMC chief more than others.Ironically, Banerjee's political fortunes turned full circle in Sandeshkhali in January this year, with the same issue of forced land grab from farmers troubling the leader again that had propelled her to power in the state a decade and a half ago. When he captured the power of the state. The previous Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-government for the state's alleged forceful acquisition of land to set up industries in Singur and Nandigram.
The non-descript corner of the Sundarban delta attracted national attention after an unprecedented attack, allegedly by followers of local TMC strongman Shazhan Shaikh, on a team of ED officials investigating the ration distribution scam, after locals forcibly razed the land. Accused of grabbing and sexually assaulting women. Against the Sheikh and his people.
The political dynamics of Basirhat parliamentary constituency changed rapidly after the arrest of Shazhan and his associates and the BJP reportedly nominated Sandeshkhali victim-turned-agitator Rekha Patra to counter the might of the Trinamool Congress, which has since held the seat. Is dominating. 2009. But Sandeshkhali remains a sore point for Mamata Banerjee, not only because the saffron party managed to hold on to the region, but perhaps even more because it undermined her reputation as a protector of farmers against land sharks. The image of those who enjoy the protection of the ruling dispensation is damaged.By sweeping the Basirhat seat, which covers Sandeshkhali, Banerjee is set to firmly claim vindication of her stance that developments in the delta were nothing more than an aberration in the larger scheme of politics in Bengal.
Although Banerjee credited the victory to the people of the state and called the results "people's rejection of those who oppose Bengal", there is no doubt that the leader's political charisma, his street fighting image and his fierce anti-BJP stance The opposition did a wonderful job of retaining him. The confidence of his followers allowed him to almost repeat TMC's 2021 state election performance despite a clear anti-incumbency wave.
What appears to have worked in Banerjee's favour, apart from the personal popularity she has managed to retain more or less, is the 'profit politics' she actively pursued during her tenure in state power, Which clearly obscured the anti-incumbency wave that was arising on a large scale.Allegations of corruption and forceful suppression of opposition voices. Beneficiaries of 'Lakshmi Bhandar' and 'Kanyashree' projects, including several other projects, who have doubled up as voters in the state, have given Banerjee a thumbs up.
It seems he ignored the fact that many TMC supremo leaders are in jail, central investigative agencies are breathing down the neck of many others including his nephew Abhishek Banerjee and sanctions on central funds, Who have allegedly derailed the welfare schemes of the state.
What Banerjee, with the support of her successor Abhishek, managed to achieve through her tireless election campaigns in Bengal, of which there were more than a hundred in the last three months, was to convey that message to the people in her characteristic style and demeanor. .In the process, he openly as well as played the victim card and promoted his own kind of sub-nationalism by cementing his image as a protector of the people from those who were "outsiders" to the state.In many ways, 2024 was a redux of 2021 for Banerjee with a similar approach to the elections and similar results.
Since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, where the Trinamool Congress won 19 seats in Bengal, up from its previous tally of just one seat, for all practical purposes elections in the state have been fought around the aura and popularity of Mamata Banerjee. The parliamentary elections marked the highest point of Banerjee's political career, where she captured 34 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. She will perhaps be best remembered for successfully resisting the BJP juggernaut in the 2021 state elections. , an election where the saffron camp put in all its might with a campaign intensity never seen before and massive defections from the TMC camp to snatch at least 200 seats in the state.
Under the leadership of Banerjee's tireless campaigns, a significant part of which was conducted within a wheelchair due to an injury sustained during her campaign in Nandigram, and the election strategies devised by the party's election-consultancy agency, the TMC won 215 seats. Ended up with. Limiting BJP to 77.
Although the BJP managed to increase its seat share manifold from its previous tally of only three seats and established itself as the sole opposition on the floor of the Assembly, Banerjee and Abhishek were expected to deal a shocking blow to the BJP's political aspirations in the state. Credit given.But Banerjee has rarely had a moment of peace since then. While his party is dogged by allegations of rampant corruption in all sectors - from recruitment in schools and municipal bodies to ration distribution, coal and cattle smuggling - its top leaders, convicted by courts in several scams, have been arrested and detained. Was taken and put in jail. Jail.
Additionally, and to the continued displeasure of Banerjee, who has repeatedly accused the BJP of indulging in "political vendetta", central investigative agencies have conducted a large number of raids on residences, offices and premises linked to senior Trinamool Congress leaders. And have interrogated him in relation to these alleged allegations. Irregularities.
But it is the investigation by agencies and courts on Banerjee's nephew and party's alleged second-ranking leader Abhishek and his family members that has perhaps troubled the TMC chief more than others.Ironically, Banerjee's political fortunes turned full circle in Sandeshkhali in January this year, with the same issue of forced land grab from farmers troubling the leader again that had propelled her to power in the state a decade and a half ago. When he captured the power of the state. The previous Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-government for the state's alleged forceful acquisition of land to set up industries in Singur and Nandigram.
The non-descript corner of the Sundarban delta attracted national attention after an unprecedented attack, allegedly by followers of local TMC strongman Shazhan Shaikh, on a team of ED officials investigating the ration distribution scam, after locals forcibly razed the land. Accused of grabbing and sexually assaulting women. Against the Sheikh and his people.
The political dynamics of Basirhat parliamentary constituency changed rapidly after the arrest of Shazhan and his associates and the BJP reportedly nominated Sandeshkhali victim-turned-agitator Rekha Patra to counter the might of the Trinamool Congress, which has since held the seat. Is dominating. 2009. But Sandeshkhali remains a sore point for Mamata Banerjee, not only because the saffron party managed to hold on to the region, but perhaps even more because it undermined her reputation as a protector of farmers against land sharks. The image of those who enjoy the protection of the ruling dispensation is damaged.By sweeping the Basirhat seat, which covers Sandeshkhali, Banerjee is set to firmly claim vindication of her stance that developments in the delta were nothing more than an aberration in the larger scheme of politics in Bengal.
