It’s the moment Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had been waiting for her entire political career for decades together. “We really fought with our blood sweat and tears…we are in favour of both industry and agriculture,” says the Trinamool chief. From 1 MP in 2004, Mamata’s tally has shot up to 19. This is Left Front’s worst showing in 32 years, losing 20 seats. Says CPM general secretary Prakash Karat: “We can’t blame it on individual leaders. We will analyse the results and come up with a comprehensive picture.” At Alimuddin Street, headquarters of the CPM in West Bengal, there is now a desperate hunt for an answer to the question that has slammed into them: Why this historic debacle? Biman Bose, chairman of Left Front in the state, talks about Trinamool riding the Congress wave. The CPM will certainly be introspecting on its policy on industry – a policy that led it to try and acquire land at Singur and Nandigram with devastating consequences. The first sign was losing the Panchayat elections last year in those hotspots. And it is not just West Bengal, the party has been left out in its other stronghold, Kerala as well.
MAMATA MAKES HISTORY OF SORTS
It’s the moment Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had been waiting for her entire political career for decades together. “We really fought with our blood sweat and tears…we are in favour of both industry and agriculture,” says the Trinamool chief.
