Mamata Banerjee will stake a declare to kind the federal government within the state at 7 PM on Monday. This was introduced by West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Taking to Twitter, Dhankhar stated that he congratulated Mamata Banerjee’s get together win in West Bengal meeting elections.
He additionally added that the chief minister will likely be calling on him at Raj Bhawan.
Mamata Banerjee steamrolled the BJP election battle machine as she powered the TMC to a two thirds majority within the meeting elections and secured a 3rd straight time period in workplace in West Bengal, the longest-standing opposition fortress within the nation.
The mercurial chief, nonetheless, misplaced by 1956 votes in Nandigram to former protege-turned-BJP adversary Suvendu Adhikari.
The TMC received 208 seats and is main in 5 extra polling 47.94 per cent votes until 3.30 am, whereas the BJP clinched 76 seats and is main in a single, bagging 38.13 per cent votes.
Elections have been held in 292 constituencies of the 294- member meeting. Polling was countermanded in two constituencies after candidates fell sufferer to a raging COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a victory for Bengal’s people…it’s Banglar joy’ (Bengal’s victory),” Banerjee instructed TMC staff, whereas her get together approached the Election Commission with demand to order recounting of votes in Nandigram which was rejected.
Though the BJP failed in its effort to dislodge Banerjee from energy, it is for the primary time that it is going to be the primary opposition get together within the state meeting, rising from a measly three seats in 2016 to no less than 76 now.
It can be for the primary time that the Left and the Congress, which dominated the state for many years, can have no illustration.
In the run as much as the elections, the BJP had Banerjee on the defensive by aggressively campaigning towards corruption allegedly involving TMC leaders and the ‘minimize cash’ (bribery) tradition affecting on a regular basis life of individuals.
The get together additionally tried to realize traction with its Hindutva pitch as slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” reverberated at rally venues and leaders tried to overtly woo the Dalit Matua and Rajbongshi communities.
Just when she gave the impression to be shedding floor, Banerjee shifted gear and coined the slogan ‘Bangla nijer meyekei chay’ (Bengal desires her daughter). Banerjee raking up the insider- outsider debate was a part of the technique to enchantment to Bengali subnationalism, one thing hitherto alien to West Bengal politics.
Banerjee’s enchantment to ‘Bangaliana’ (Bengaliness) cultural id, which transcends divisions of caste and faith, appeared to have labored in her favour.
The ‘Duare Sarkar’ (authorities at your step) programme below which advantages of a number of welfare schemes, together with scheduled caste certificates, have been delivered to the houses of the beneficiaries, additionally boosted her standing among the many poor.
The West Bengal authorities’s UN award successful ‘Kanyashree’ programme, the place cash is transferred to the financial institution accounts of women so they may research additional and early marriages could possibly be prevented, was highlighted through the marketing campaign.
The technique to increase the ‘Swasthya Sathi’ medical insurance scheme to your complete inhabitants in December 2000 was welcomed by all. The scheme was launched by Banerjee in 2016.
It is a fundamental well being cowl for secondary and tertiary care as much as Rs 5 lakh every year for each household.
Months forward of the elections, the Banerjee authorities transferred Rs 10,000 every to 9.5 lakh college students at school 12 authorities faculties to assist them purchase pc tablets and cellphones for on-line lessons. But, for a lot of households, it got here as reduction amid financial hardships triggered by the lockdown.
She promised that ladies heads of 1.6 crore households will obtain fundamental revenue profit below which ladies of common class will get Rs 500 month-to-month allowance and people of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Rs 1,000. She stated it was pocket cash for the ladies who in any other case need to depend upon their husbands.
“The chief minister remains extremely popular with women, the campaign stressing pro-women initiatives went down well….their (women’s) high turnout helped,” stated Prof.
Ranabir Samaddar, well-known political scientist and former head of Maulana Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata.
Another issue that went in her favour was the close to whole consolidation of Muslim votes in favour of the TMC.
Parties such because the AIMIM and Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF, which have been seen as having the potential to deal a blow to the TMC’s minority help base, did not make an impression because the minorities threw their weight behind Mamata Banerjee.
The prime minister’s repeated taunts of “Didi, O Didi” in his speeches, too, didn’t go down nicely with voters in a state the place ladies historically get pleasure from a excessive social and financial standing and are a serious vote financial institution for the TMC.
The clincher for Banerjee got here when she mounted an aggressive assault within the final three phases of polling on Prime Minister Modi for leaving India unprepared for the second COVID wave.
She went on guilty an inflow of (*7*) for the unfold of the pandemic within the state, and the saffron get together all of the sudden discovered itself attempting to defend itself towards fees of mismanagement of the COVID-19 disaster.
The victory for Banerjee, by far the largest mass chief for the reason that redoubtable Jyoti Basu who dominated West Bengal with an iron fist from 1977 to 2000, won’t solely assist fortify her place within the state but additionally improve her standing on the nationwide stage the place voices from the opposition are getting feeble with time.
Speculation is rife already that Banerjee, who reached out to a number of nationwide and regional events against the BJP a couple of months in the past, will now attempt to forge a typical entrance with them to mount a problem to the saffron get together within the 2024 common elections.
