The west Bengal assembly elections results went on expected line. The impregnable Marxist fortress for decades, at long last, crumbled after 34 years. A single woman behind the downfall of the Marxist in Bengal is Mamata. Leapt from a humble origin, lost her father when she need him the most, a victim of Marxist bashing all throughout her political career, but her indomitable spirit enabled her to script a staggering success story. Ever since, Mamata joined the rough and tumble of politics, she had a one-point agenda in Bengal to take the Marxist head on and throw them into the Bay of Bengal. For this reason, she quit congress in 1998, when she found that congress was cozying up to the left in the post Babri Masjid demolition. Mamata came to national limelight after she defeated Somnath Chaterjee of CPI (M) from Jadavpur in 1984. Since then, there was no looking back. Twenty six years down the line, Mamata routed the Marxist and got her dream fulfilled and her long cherish aspiration of heading a government in the most political conscious state-Bengal. And now with her trademark rubber chapel, she will call the shots from Writers’ Building. One singular factor behind her comprehensive win is that, Mamata never played politics from the comfort zone of palatial Ministerial Bungalow in Delhi. She led from the front in the streets of Kolkatta criss-crossing the length and breadth of Bengal. This paid off.
In the run-up to the polls, the Left put up a brave front notwithstanding that there was undercurrent of nervousness and an inkling of what is in store for them in the six-phase elections. To refurbish the sagging image and as a damage control exercise, beleaguered Buddhadeb started talking in terms of taking course correction; admitted the past Left’s mistakes, and at one stroke, the Left Front dropped nine ministers and fifty sitting MLAs and fielded grassroots level leaders to take on Trinamool-Congress alliance. Regardless of these cosmetic changes, it failed to stop Mamata’s juggernaut and steamrolled the Marxist citadel in style.
The left front came to power in the post emergency period in 1977, riding on the crest of anti-emergency excesses. And ever since, the Left front went on to thrash its opponents consecutively seven times. The height of Marxist hegemony peaked after 2006 assembly elections by securing 235 seats in a House of 294. The agrarian reforms and land distribution initiated by the left Front government in the initial years of its regime caught the imagination of the poor and landless peasants, which enabled the Marxist to establish a strong rural foundation for their hegemony in Bengal. This foundation caved in, following the Singur and Nandigram upheavals, CPM reign of terror, coupled with Marxist cadre arrogance and its leader inability to rein in on its cadres. Despite many innovative schemes, Left front Achilles heels were that many innocent lives were lost in the Marxist reign of terror over the last three decades. There is also a view that Left cozying up to BJP to defeat the UPA on the floor of the House in the civil nuclear deal in 2008 cost them dear. The expulsion of Somnath Chaterjee, following the No-confidence Motion did sully the Marxist’s image. The string of electoral reverses suffered by the Left Front, in the Panchayat poll, 2008, the Loksabha poll, 2009 and the civic poll in 2010, was akin to a funeral procession that finally gave a burial to hammer and sickle on 13 May, 2011.
In 2009 Loksabha polls, the Trinamool-Congress alliance shocked the Left, reducing the Left Front seat share to only 99 assembly segments and dwindling the Left Lok sabha seat from 35 to 15 seats. Conversely, the TMC seat increased from 7 to 26. In 2004 parliamentary elections, Mamata was the lone winner from TMC and her ally BJP scored a duck. These results prompted her to divorce from BJP and boarded the UPA bandwagon and assiduously cultivated the Muslims, since she realized that the community matters to throw out the monolithic Left from W. Bengal. The Muslim which constitute about 25% in west Bengal were Marxist backers, but the Nandigrams and Singur episode made the Muslim suspicious of the left intention-to grab their land. In every Friday prayers, the imams dropped hints to drift away from their traditional backers and support Mamata. The 13th May, results indicate that Muslims electorates voted favorably and contributed to consigning the Marxist rule.
The Marxist cadres having been in power for decades became very irresponsible had become law unto themselves and without qualms showcased the prowess of Allimuddin Street and Writers’ building was made to play second fiddle. This affected governance and Mamata exploited this situation to the hilt and brought the red to its knees. Notwithstanding the fact that she served as union minister with no fewer than three prime ministers in Delhi, her focus was her constituency- W. Bengal. This paid dividend. She roped in intellectuals, retired police and civil servants, technocrats and financial brains to TMC and put them up against the Marxist stalwarts, much against the party cadres. But this seems to be the right decision because politics is not all about winning and bringing down ruling dispensation, but it also involves gigantic task of planning, roadmap for economic growth and good governance.
The most interesting aspect of INC-TMC victory is that Sonia piggyback on Mamata to demolish the reds in Bengal. The icing in the cake of Mamata winning spree was the defeat of three CPI(M) stalwarts. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattarcharya, was humbled by Manish Gupta, a former Chief Secretary from Jadavpur by 16,684 votes. The next casualty was that of Dr. Asim Dasgupta, the erudite Finance Minister, since 1987. He was shown the door by another economist Dr. Amit Mitra by 26,154 votes from Khardah. Amit Mitra not only snatched Khardah but also likely to step into Asim’s domain-Finance. Nirupam Sen, Industries and Power Minister, the no 2 in Buddhadeb Cabinet bit the dust from Burdwan South. Interestingly, all but few Buddhadeb ministerial colleagues were on the Marxist sinking Boat.
The UPA 11 literally hinges on the support of TMC MPs and having whitewashed the red citadel and with Bengal in her kitty, Mamata is sure to become more assertive than ever before. The five states assembly elections results have unfolded the prominence of women in Indian politics and Mamata has been propelled to be the second most important person in India next to Sonia. Who dare says politics is a men’s domain? Look at these women: Sonia is the pivot of the UPA. And Mama from east, Jaya from south and Maya from north has the potential, the numbers, plus, the temperament to destabilize the UPA 11, nay, torment the most affable and dignified prime minister of all times, in the days ahead!
(The writer is Associate Professor of Political Science Dimapur Government College)
In the run-up to the polls, the Left put up a brave front notwithstanding that there was undercurrent of nervousness and an inkling of what is in store for them in the six-phase elections. To refurbish the sagging image and as a damage control exercise, beleaguered Buddhadeb started talking in terms of taking course correction; admitted the past Left’s mistakes, and at one stroke, the Left Front dropped nine ministers and fifty sitting MLAs and fielded grassroots level leaders to take on Trinamool-Congress alliance. Regardless of these cosmetic changes, it failed to stop Mamata’s juggernaut and steamrolled the Marxist citadel in style.
The left front came to power in the post emergency period in 1977, riding on the crest of anti-emergency excesses. And ever since, the Left front went on to thrash its opponents consecutively seven times. The height of Marxist hegemony peaked after 2006 assembly elections by securing 235 seats in a House of 294. The agrarian reforms and land distribution initiated by the left Front government in the initial years of its regime caught the imagination of the poor and landless peasants, which enabled the Marxist to establish a strong rural foundation for their hegemony in Bengal. This foundation caved in, following the Singur and Nandigram upheavals, CPM reign of terror, coupled with Marxist cadre arrogance and its leader inability to rein in on its cadres. Despite many innovative schemes, Left front Achilles heels were that many innocent lives were lost in the Marxist reign of terror over the last three decades. There is also a view that Left cozying up to BJP to defeat the UPA on the floor of the House in the civil nuclear deal in 2008 cost them dear. The expulsion of Somnath Chaterjee, following the No-confidence Motion did sully the Marxist’s image. The string of electoral reverses suffered by the Left Front, in the Panchayat poll, 2008, the Loksabha poll, 2009 and the civic poll in 2010, was akin to a funeral procession that finally gave a burial to hammer and sickle on 13 May, 2011.
In 2009 Loksabha polls, the Trinamool-Congress alliance shocked the Left, reducing the Left Front seat share to only 99 assembly segments and dwindling the Left Lok sabha seat from 35 to 15 seats. Conversely, the TMC seat increased from 7 to 26. In 2004 parliamentary elections, Mamata was the lone winner from TMC and her ally BJP scored a duck. These results prompted her to divorce from BJP and boarded the UPA bandwagon and assiduously cultivated the Muslims, since she realized that the community matters to throw out the monolithic Left from W. Bengal. The Muslim which constitute about 25% in west Bengal were Marxist backers, but the Nandigrams and Singur episode made the Muslim suspicious of the left intention-to grab their land. In every Friday prayers, the imams dropped hints to drift away from their traditional backers and support Mamata. The 13th May, results indicate that Muslims electorates voted favorably and contributed to consigning the Marxist rule.
The Marxist cadres having been in power for decades became very irresponsible had become law unto themselves and without qualms showcased the prowess of Allimuddin Street and Writers’ building was made to play second fiddle. This affected governance and Mamata exploited this situation to the hilt and brought the red to its knees. Notwithstanding the fact that she served as union minister with no fewer than three prime ministers in Delhi, her focus was her constituency- W. Bengal. This paid dividend. She roped in intellectuals, retired police and civil servants, technocrats and financial brains to TMC and put them up against the Marxist stalwarts, much against the party cadres. But this seems to be the right decision because politics is not all about winning and bringing down ruling dispensation, but it also involves gigantic task of planning, roadmap for economic growth and good governance.
The most interesting aspect of INC-TMC victory is that Sonia piggyback on Mamata to demolish the reds in Bengal. The icing in the cake of Mamata winning spree was the defeat of three CPI(M) stalwarts. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattarcharya, was humbled by Manish Gupta, a former Chief Secretary from Jadavpur by 16,684 votes. The next casualty was that of Dr. Asim Dasgupta, the erudite Finance Minister, since 1987. He was shown the door by another economist Dr. Amit Mitra by 26,154 votes from Khardah. Amit Mitra not only snatched Khardah but also likely to step into Asim’s domain-Finance. Nirupam Sen, Industries and Power Minister, the no 2 in Buddhadeb Cabinet bit the dust from Burdwan South. Interestingly, all but few Buddhadeb ministerial colleagues were on the Marxist sinking Boat.
The UPA 11 literally hinges on the support of TMC MPs and having whitewashed the red citadel and with Bengal in her kitty, Mamata is sure to become more assertive than ever before. The five states assembly elections results have unfolded the prominence of women in Indian politics and Mamata has been propelled to be the second most important person in India next to Sonia. Who dare says politics is a men’s domain? Look at these women: Sonia is the pivot of the UPA. And Mama from east, Jaya from south and Maya from north has the potential, the numbers, plus, the temperament to destabilize the UPA 11, nay, torment the most affable and dignified prime minister of all times, in the days ahead!
(The writer is Associate Professor of Political Science Dimapur Government College)
