How a firebrand activist ended three decades of communist rule in West Bengal
In short: Known to supporters as Didi, or Elder Sister, Mamata Banerjee rose from humble beginnings to become West Bengal’s first female chief minister. Her career, defined by a populist brand of politics and a fierce opposition to land acquisition, reshaped the state’s political landscape for fifteen years before a dramatic 2026 exit.
Born in 1955 in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee entered politics as a student, eventually earning degrees in law and arts. She began her career within the Congress (I) Party, rising through the ranks to become one of India’s youngest parliamentarians in 1984. By the late 1990s, however, she grew disillusioned with the Congress Party and sought a more direct path to challenge the entrenched Communist Party of India (Marxist), which had governed West Bengal since 1977.
Banerjee’s political breakthrough arrived through the Tata-Singur controversy in 2006. When the state government attempted to acquire land for a Tata Motors automobile plant, Banerjee led a 25-day hunger strike, championing the rights of displaced farmers. This movement, centered on her slogan 'Maa, Maati, Manush' (Mother, Land, People), galvanized her base. In 2011, she secured a landslide victory on a platform of 'Poriborton' (Change), ending 34 years of communist rule and becoming the state’s first woman chief minister.
Her tenure was marked by social initiatives like the Kanyashree scheme for women’s education and the Lakshmir Bhandar financial assistance program. Despite her electoral success in 2016 and 2021, her administration faced persistent accusations of corruption. The political tide turned in 2026, when she lost her constituency and the Trinamool Congress was defeated. Refusing to accept the results or resign, she saw her government collapse as the assembly was dissolved, followed by a party split that saw her removed as chairperson by a rebel faction.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Mamata Banerjee | 2026 West Bengal Assembly Election Results, Indian Politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, Career, & Facts | Britannica
- Also: Mamata Banerjee
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