In the West Bengal election of 2021, the longest state election in the history of India, Mamata Banerjee won the khela, and the BJP lost the plot. How did this happen?
The author, Jayanta Ghosal, travelled to all the districts of West Bengal and unearthed certain key factors that helped the Trinamool win the state. For instance, there was a massive gap in the BJP's understanding of Bengali identity, which Mamata was able to exploit. An 'overdose' of central intervention, ranging from paramilitary forces to intelligence agencies to target key TMC leaders, added to the BJP's disconnect with voters. Increasingly, the state felt the divide between New Delhi and Bengal grow.
The book details how Mamata was successfully able to portray herself as the 'daughter of Bengal' who worked tirelessly for the state's poor and disadvantaged. It also asks the question: with the state elections under her belt, what will be Mamata's path to the general elections of 2024? Does she consider herself a candidate for the prime minister's post?
