The Trinamul Congress juggernaut rolled along, making its way down marked out paths where it has a solid support base and roads less travelled passing through Opposition strongholds, sweeping constituencies from North Bengal to Jungle Mahal, achieving majority in the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal today.

Amidst the process of setting aside the doubts spread by ruling party baiters from the saffron camp emerged the clear message that it would be TMC chief Mamata Banerjee who would lead a newly formed Opposition cohort against the Prime Minister Narenda Modi-led BJP in the 2024 Lok  Sabha polls.

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The election results are all the more sweet for Trinamul as successive rallies in the state of top-drawer BJP leadership including Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union home minister, Amit Shah drew a blank.

The Bengali identity which the Trinamul tried to underscore as its head honchoes campaigned focussing on the theme “re-election of the local girl” triumphed over a call from the saffron camp to trash an allegedly corruption ridden regime, which turned out to be a cry in the wilderness.

Booth-level organisation of Trinamul helped the ruling dispensation steal a march over the saffron camp. There were nothing on the part of the BJP which might have helped connect its booth-level activists with the people.

Miss-calls by party activists and BJP leaders having lunches at the homes of economically challenged persons did not cut much ice with the voters. On the other hand, Trinamul activists going door to door assessing and informing voters about government schemes and strengthening their connect with the ruling party seemed to overwhelmingly sway the support  of the populace in the TMC’s favour.

The faith of the BJP leadership in the capability of the defectors from the Trinamul camp to win as the new crop of saffron camp representatives turned out to be baseless. The defectors did not clearly enjoy the faith of the voters in this election though they had the support of the same set of people five years ago.

Endeavours to divide the voters on lines of religion and caste marked this year’s Assembly election. Such a gameplan did not have a widespread effect as election results in both minority and other areas are a pointer that the liberal humanist mind set which marks out this state has prevailed.