Momentum builds for Mamata as ‘face of INDIA Bloc’

Kolkata: Economist and political commentator Sanjaya Baru has strongly backed projecting Mamata Banerjee as the Opposition’s prime ministerial face, saying “no one fits the bill better” in a male-dominated national political landscape.

Writing in The Telegraph, Baru argues that Banerjee stands out in contemporary politics as “the only woman to presently head both a political party and a government.” He calls her a “totally self-made, first-generation leader” who founded the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led it to power, and secured repeated mandates in Bengal.

He argues that her continued tenure as Chief Minister would be “consequential for national politics,” especially at a time when regional leaders with national ambitions have been marginalised. Unlike others, he suggests, Banerjee blends administrative authority with mass appeal and political resilience. Her simple lifestyle—living modestly and wearing her trademark white cotton saree and hawai chappals—has reinforced her image as a grounded and accessible leader. On the Opposition’s strategy, Baru is explicit. He writes that when the I.N.D.I.A platform was formed, Banerjee “ought to have been made its chairperson.”

According to him, “a fiery Mamata bolstered by nationwide political support through INDIA would have helped the parties battling the BJP to acquire coherence and popular appeal.” He further contends that an Opposition alliance led by a woman symbolising independent womanhood could dent the BJP’s expanding women voter base.

Moreover, Akhilesh Yadav recently remarked that “only Didi can counter the BJP’s onslaught in this country,” reinforcing the perception within sections of the Opposition that Banerjee’s leadership could provide sharper direction.

A key pillar of this argument lies in Bengal’s political trajectory under Banerjee. Despite sustained organisational focus and high-voltage campaigns by the BJP, the state has remained politically unconquered for the party.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, when senior BJP leaders publicly projected that the party would cross 200 seats in the 294-member House, it was ultimately restricted to 77, while the TMC secured a decisive mandate. The pattern continued in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where the TMC won 29 of Bengal’s 42 parliamentary seats, reducing the BJP’s tally from its 2019 peak.

These outcomes have reinforced the perception that Bengal remains one of the few major states where the BJP’s electoral ambitions have consistently met firm and organised resistance.

In contrast, political developments in recent years have shown the BJP in states such as Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra displaying an apparent desperation to retain power through alleged horse-trading. Ahead of elections, the saffron camp in these states was reportedly able to persuade MLAs from ruling parties to switch sides. Reports also surfaced of legislators being flown in private jets to BJP-ruled states and housed in luxury hotels. However, this ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ strategy has so far failed to make headway in Bengal despite attempts.

While acknowledging that her governance record may be open to debate, Baru maintains that few chief ministers across India can claim an unblemished tenure, and that comparative performance does not dilute her credentials.

As the I.N.D.I.A bloc weighs its leadership question ahead of upcoming electoral battles, Baru’s intervention has rekindled the debate, projecting Mamata Banerjee not just as a regional stalwart but as a serious national contender.