The change in loyalties did not affect the Congress’ fortunes this time around. It was a calculated ploy to take the spotlight off the wrongdoing of her party leaders, and the increasing factional feuds in the Trinamool.
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Also, of keen interest was the performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had polled a surprising 17 percent in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
But at 61, Mamata is more youthful than her Tamil Nadu counterpart and also has the advantage of better personal relations with leaders of other parties. Earlier, the BJP had won twice in by-poll. She resigned from the NDA government on grounds of morality after the Tehelka sting operation exposed Bangaru Laxman.
The high voting percentage in this election had left everyone in a state of confusion…but Trinamool knew they had got there trick right…some thing they had learnt from the Left Front…thats precisely…organised pattern of orgalisational voting. The Communists will have to resign themselves to spending time in the wilderness in West Bengal for the next five years.
Trinamool Congress’ vote share increased from the 2011 figure of 38% to 45%.
In 2012, Congress leader Abdul Mannan submitted a document to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi suggesting an alliance with the Left.
The Left, which once held complete sway over this part of country, with its writ running for 34 years till 2011, now stands third with only 32 seats- 12 behind the Congress, which is set to play the main opposition. The Congress did gain, but just marginally.
While most of the exit polls had already predicted a landslide victory for Mamata, it is not surprising at all that the people of Bengal chose her leadership and rejected the electoral alliance forged by two erstwhile arch-rivals – Congress and the Left – to uproot the Trinamool Congress government.
Large sections of the electorate of Bengal who were disillusioned with Mamata Banerjee and her misrule didn’t vote at all, or voted for Independents. They did not realise Ms Banerjee is a people’s leader and people do not desert their Didi.
Banerjee chose to combat the challenge by telling the people to vote for her: “I am the Trinamool candidate in all the 294 assembly seats”, she said. But the magic of the alliance failed to cut much ice even as allegations of corruption were made against the Trinamool Congress. First, it has to build up the party organisation. “She said those who were defeated, lost due to their arrogance and advised us to be down to earth”, a TMC former minister and now an MLA who was present at the meeting told Echo of India.
Both Jayalalithaa and Mamata need the Centre’s financial support for their projects.
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In 1991, she joined then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s ministry but was unhappy because the government was indifferent to her proposal to develop sports.
