Mamata rattled because her prime ministerial ambition is under threat by resurgent BJP

But why is Mamata Banerjee resorting to extreme steps — in her language — and her party workers rampaging across the state?

But why is Mamata Banerjee resorting to extreme steps — in her language — and her party workers rampaging across the state?
But why is Mamata Banerjee resorting to extreme steps — in her language — and her party workers rampaging across the state?

Mamta Banerjee is rattled by the growing popularity of the Modi-Amit Shah led BJP, is evident in her rants.

It is a rare Lok Sabha election when the electoral mood in the state of Uttar Pradesh does not occupy centre stage. The explanation is simple: Because Uttar Pradesh contributes the maximum number of seats, 80, to the House, it holds the key to government formation. The 2019 polls ought to have been no different, given that the results in Uttar Pradesh indeed are indeed critical for the players in the field. But there has been a dramatic shift in focus on the part of both the media and the political parties away from this state, to another, West Bengal.

Suddenly, there is talk that the outcome in this eastern state will be crucial to deciding the next government in New Delhi. West Bengal does have a sizeable contribution with 42 seats, but it is still small compared to Uttar Pradesh. The reason why West Bengal has become important is largely due to the brinkmanship of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress. In every phase of the polling, large-scale violence has been reported from the state, with media reports clearly indicating that the Chief Minister’s party men had indulged in intimidation and assaults. The target has been supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party who too, have hit back.

Mamata Banerjee ousted the Left Front from West Bengal despite the latter being in power for over three decades on a trot.

But why is Mamata Banerjee resorting to extreme steps — in her language — and her party workers rampaging across the state? It cannot be just that the contest is severe between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. It is as bitter in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine taking on the BJP. It is equally intense in Odisha where the BJP is seeking to end the hegemony of the Biju Janata Dal. But there has been no violence in those states.

The primary reason for the West Bengal Chief Minister’s desperation has to do with her prime ministerial ambitions. If her party cedes ground to the BJP in the state, then she will stand at a disadvantage to push forward her claim to the nation’s leadership. Unlike in the case of parties such as the Congress and the BJP which have a nationwide presence, her Trinamool Congress is restricted to West Bengal, and it’s a do or die battle for her there. Mamata Banerjee has sought to occupy the pole position as a challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outdoing other opposition leaders in spewing venom against him — calling him a thief and a goon and threatening to slap him and break his teeth.

That she is rattled by the growing popularity of the Modi-Amit Shah led BJP, is evident in her rants. Over the months, she has done everything by the book and beyond to obstruct the BJP’s campaigning in the state, by blocking rallies of its president Shah and even Modi. She has indulged in minority appeasement to ensure that that bloc of votes remains with her. She is also fighting to retain her party’s standing for future Assembly elections — which too will become a challenge for her in case the BJP wins a sizeable number of seats in this Lok Sabha election.

All of this has resulted in a unique situation in West Bengal. In normal circumstances, the Trinamool Congress should have been happy to see the decimation of the Left and the Congress. But now it must be hoping they do well. This is because the votes of the two parties are threatening to shift to the BJP. If there is a large-scale transfer of Left and Congress votes to the BJP, Mamata Banerjee will be in deep trouble. On its part, the BJP is certainly looking to take away those votes, besides those from the Trinamool camp. Although the Left has been marginalised in the state over the last decade or so after Mamata Banerjee’s rise, it still managed 30 per cent of the votes in the 2014 parliamentary elections. Psephologists believe that, even if the Left loses 10 per cent its vote-share, it could lead to a huge spiral in the seats that the BJP will win, and consequently result in a big reduction of Trinamool seats.

Over the past couple of years especially, the BJP has been on a surge. In 2014, it had bagged 16 per cent of the votes polled but did particularly well in the last violent-hit panchayat elections. It has been able to not just exploit but also construct a shift in public mood in the state. It has been emboldened by its victory in Tripura Assembly polls against an entrenched Left and believes it can repeat the performance in West Bengal at the national level. Mamata Banerjee ousted the Left Front from West Bengal despite the latter being in power for over three decades on a trot. The BJP now expects to engineer a similar upheaval, with the Trinamool Congress at the receiving end.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

Rajesh Singh is a Delhi-based senior political commentator and public affairs analyst
Rajesh Singh

13 COMMENTS

  1. EC should have taken strong steps when opposition leaders were killed during local elections. Supreme Court should have asked EC and president to conduct elections after stripping the powers of this lady who is bent upon destroying bengalees.When the constitutional institutions wink, such type of notorious leaders will come into picture destroying the social fabric

  2. Another email-

    Whether it is SADVI-JI, or mamta merger with bdesh (she officially changed the name from WB to Bengal), we are unable to pre-empt or prevent blow after blow or damage over more damage. Raza academy riot damage was estimated to run into several bil; they were let off scot free by our courts. Same way with apex me-too charge on gogoi; with raul vinci’ multiple passports; Kashmir law 2nd look, etc.
    Hope and prayer re not helping!!

  3. This is a quote from an email-

    Mamata adopted her mother’s religion ISLAM – which was evidenced from pictures wherein she
    used to greet leaders with an ADAB. Her masstes degree too is in ISLAMIC HISTORY.
    How she is behaving – like a made dog. She always wears white sarees. No Bindi. No flowers.
    Giving the look of a widow. Somebody says, she is a spinster. But definitely, she has mental problems.
    She tells the PM – you are a chor
    You should be kicked out of India
    I will break your teeth
    I will slap you
    You are a goonda
    You are ex.PM
    I do not recognize you as PM

    And she says, SHAH should not address meetings in wasted bengal. Shah’s helicopter should
    not land in Kolkata.

    When somebody said JAI SHRI RAM, he was arrested.
    When some girl posted something about Mamata, she was arrested.
    WHY NOBODY IS STOPPING HER? IS SHE OWNER OF WASTED BENGAL.?
    Suppose, UP CM says – Mamata should not come to UP and canvass, how it will look.
    Mamata is creating a dangerous precedence with the help of BREAKING INDIA
    FORCES. As a muslim, she may be dreaming to be the head of AKAND BENGAL
    (east bengal and wasted bengal).
    BJP lawyers and lawyers in Bengal, should have gone to court against Mamata’s
    breaking India activities. Why everyone is silent? There is a possibility that what
    happened to Pandits in Kashmir, may happen to hindu bengalis in wasted Bengal.
    Once Calcutta was an industrial city. Now, Calcutta is slowly turning into a ghost
    city No development. No new industries. Bengalies are going out to settle in other
    places. Once a kannadiga made a comment in a vernacular daily – we have more
    bengalies in Bangalore than kannadigas. Similar situtation – Shiv Sena vs south
    Indians.

    Atleast half a dozen eminent lawyers should take Mamata to court for her anti-national
    activities. In fact, the governor should recommend President’s rule for a brief period
    It is astonishing Lutyens are keeping quiet – Sagarika ghose her(mother is a syrian
    christian according to social media), Rajdeep, Vinci, are keeping quiet due to SICKULARISm.
    What the lawyers in BJp are doing? IS JAI ITALY THE ONLY LAWYER IN BJP?
    The silence of HOME ministry is inexplicable.
    I am appending below a posting from another group. This group normally writes against
    Modi and Hindus. But even this group, has sounded an alarm on DIDI’S MENTAL
    IMBALANCE.

  4. Every Indian (in fact entire humanity) would be rattled at the very thought of this lady’s primeministerial ambitions. Exceptions would be the “intelligent” editors of Time, Economist, Telegraph, ….

  5. Over the last 300 years, the changes and upheaval that started in Bengal has set the course of how India would move in the world order. The Spiritual, Cultural, Social Revolution/Renaissance in India has blossomed from this eastern part of India. With Communism taking a stronger hold in the world between 1950 and 1980s, we all thought Bengal would lead and set the stage for what would happen in India. However, Communism neither survived in the world order nor in Bengal and India but it has led to the offshoot of a funny group called the “TMC – Totally Muddled and Confused” as it is truly neither leftist nor rightist in its ideology. Yes, either GOOD or BAD, as the street fight between the GIR Lion and the Bengal Tigress has happened now in WB, the stage has been SET for the people of Bengal to decide the future of not only Bengal but where India would head to. So, history Repeats/Continues as the people of Bengal will decide the FATE of India in the world order – “SWING High or SINK Down”. Let’s await the result of how Bengal votes in a week’s time.

  6. the author must be kidding- says the f..g bitch is a prime ministerial potential at any level. what lenses are looking through?

    in the last few days she has shown her temperament -that Bharat would not want in a prime minister going forward.

    look- her strength is not- seeming perception of porpularitiy in Bengal- it is her gansterism/thug nature- and she seems to have created a network- to sustain a aura of fear and conspiring with police administration- funded by a ring of corruption- running through every level of her state ministerial power structure.

    I cannot see any way you sustain fear -to get re-elected- without any significant improvement at any economic level- engineered by the state functionaries- filtering down to the common man, worman and child.

    the f..g bitch thrives in a gansterism/thug like administration- in Bengal- it would not work anywhere else-
    she created a ecosystem that allowed her to project her as a leader- who is in constant insecurity of her own thin popularity
    .
    so I reject your perception of this moron- and the rest of the country sees right through her- Bengal has great problems- it is still living in the 50’s,60’s- the communist f…g assholes never sustained any development project while they were in power- then followed by the current power assholes- it is no wonder the voting public are not enthusiastic to vote- and that create a sentiment of -no alternatives- so you get the same old power structures repeatedly back to power.

    the f….g congress crap party- ruled Bharat rfor 60 years- what have they for the masses- and development of Bharat- except install and sustain a ecosystem for their repeated election into power.

    those days are gone- aspirations of the people matter- we cannot afford not to become a powerful and sustainable force and country in a neighborhood like ours.

    the f..g bitch- prime minsterial potential- what a laugh/joke.

  7. Didi with her foul mouth can she ever think of how she will be converse with world leaders…will they ever come near to her…or completely avoid

  8. Suggest you write article on how the Educated Opposition Leaders inspite of their education, used abusive language – attacking the educational credentials of opposition.
    Write article as to how a Chief Minister foul mouthed the PM can ever to have working relation should the Modi should return back in to power.
    Can any businessmen ever dare to invest in West Bengal with this foul mouthed lady ?
    Truly she is has reflected her Phd i.e. Islamic studies – all choicest abuses, which truly reflects her Islamic mastery.

  9. Mamata should know that public can shift their support whom they feel neutral and soft. She feels other than Trinamool no one should contest.this is wrongful.

  10. WB is on its way to becoming Tripura-II.

    In all likelihood WB will become TMC-MUKT soon.

    BJP will succeed in (1) Polarising Hindus (2) Identifying the illegal Bangladeshi Voters & disenfranchising them.

    Didi should be made GOVERNMENT GUEST along with Ma-Beta & Baap-Beta

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