THE trouble with West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee is that she has currently to fight on two fronts -- political and psychological -- as the State is getting ready for legislative elections that may prove to be most acrimonious ever. That the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has posed a very serious challenge to her supremacy, is only one part of the detail.

 

The other part is that Mamata Didi has to convince herself that she is right and invincible -- particularly against the background of the flood of credible information about how she stopped various central schemes from reaching the common people of West Bengal for the past 5-6 years. With increasing numbers of members of her own Trinamool Congress feeling let down by the supremo, and ever-expanding numbers of masses feeling deserted by the State Government, Ms. Mamata Banerjee is finding it tough to convince herself that she still has the same grip on popular opinion as she had earlier. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Ms. Banerjee saw her base shrinking beyond measure. She had never expected the BJP to win so many seats in those elections. And now, with its energies focused on the State of West Bengal, the BJP is making things all the more difficult for Didi at every step of the way. For the first time in her career as Chief Minister, she is expected to handle a negative task of somehow retaining her hold, rather than of expanding her circle of influence.

 

At this stage, it is difficult to predict the accurate outcome of the legislative elections due soon. Yet, it can be said safely that all of Didi’s past deeds of commission and omission are threatening to catch up with her. The people have not forgotten how the Tatas finally made up their mind to move out of Singur where they had planned a massive Nano car manufacturing facility. The people have also not been able to get over the fact that Ms. Banerjee’s Government did not allow various central benefits of development to reach the common and poor and needy persons. The people have not been able to get over the reign of political violence that the State saw under Didi’s leadership. There is yet another dimension, too, about Didi’s ways and means -- her opposition to whatever the Centre and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi does. As part of that perverse political philosophy, Ms. Mamata Banerjee raised doubts about the Balakot airstrikes that the Indian Air Force conducted to destroy terrorist outfits and training camps. The people are not able to get past the sick reaction Didi offered to the Pulwama terror strike. The people realised in no time that the West Bengal Chief Minister was trying to defy the basic principle of collaborative federalism and was trying to create an impression that her State is a politically and administratively autonomous entity.

 

This extremism is an anathema to democracy and federal spirit of India safeguarded and upheld by all stake-holders beyond ideological divide. But Ms. Mamata Banerjee led the Opposition camp in trying to create an impression that the Central Government has no importance whatsoever in the system of governance so painstakingly devised and put in place by founders of Independent India. It was out of that perverse thinking that Didi stopped countless central schemes from reaching the people of her State. All these details were not missed by the people in general. As the State readies for the legislative elections, all these details have begun haunting Ms. Mamata Banerjee in a manner that she could never fathom.

 

She is still a force to reckon with in West Bengal, all right. But there is no denying the reality on the ground that she is a force on the decline, with waning influence. How will she cope with this changing scenario? Signs are available to suggest that she may unleash her goons to indulge in wanton violence to cower voters away from election and intimidate political rivals. But it can be said safely that such a ploy would make no difference to the electorate this time. Ms. Mamata Banerjee, therefore, will have to devise a newer and smarter and wiser way to contest the elections. Will she be able to do that?