Kolkata: As she addressed the campaign for the Bhabanipur by-election on Wednesday, West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee was seen repeatedly stressing on ensuring 100 per cent voters turnout at the polling stations on the polling day on September 30, 2021. She has even admitted that the over-confidence that had set in among her party workers might bring another disaster for her as it happened in Nandigram in the last West Bengal assembly elections. In last assembly elections, the leader of the opposition, Suvdenu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram.
Some feel that such comments by the chief minister are expressions of her over-confidence. At the same time, some also feel that after the Nandigram debacle, the fear of defeat syndrome has set in within the chief minister. Both in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections Trinamool Congress was trailing from the Bhabanipur constituency. However, Trinamool bagged victories in both 2016 and 2021 West Bengal assembly elections.
However, on Tuesday, from another campaign rally, the chief minister made a damage control attempt as she said that she is stressing on her assured victory since she does not consider it fair to stick to the chair of the chief minister without being elected as an MLA. "In Trinamool Congress, there are other leaders highly capable for the chair of the chief minister. But if the people really want me for that chair they should vote for me," the chief minister said.
Speaking on this issue, the state BJP general secretary, Syanatan Basu told ETV Bharat since Trinamool Congress already has a one-third majority in the West Bengal assembly, the fate of the current state government is not all dependent on the Bhabanipur by-election results. "If she gets defeated anyone else from Trinamool Congress will become the chief minister. In such a situation the chief minister could afford to be more relaxed. But her gesture and expression clearly state the fear of defeat has set in within her," Basu said.
Read: Banerjee fled to Nandigram as TMC got fewer votes in LS polls ; Adhikari
On the other hand, the CPI(M) central committee member, Robin Deb said this is a typical syndrome of a one-person party. "So despite having 213 elected MLAs, the chief minister forced a winning MLA to resign. Just for the sake of the chief minister, the elections were forced upon people despite the pandemic," Deb said.
Reacting to such comments, senior Trinamool Congress MLA and the party's spokesman, Tapas Roy said that the chief minister is really not bothered about how others explain her comments. "This is actually her challenge to surpass her own past records," Roy said.
Renowned political scientist and the former principal of erstwhile Presidency College, Dr Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay feel that such gestures from the chief minister clearly reflect her inherent fear of defeat. "After her defeat from Nandigram in the last elections, the chief minister is unable to take anything lightly. This happens when fear of defeat sets in. She is herself not sure of her victory and so such statements are coming from her. In my opinion, the chief minister has become restless after her defeat from Nandigram and hence she is saying such things," he said.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, the former registrar of Calcutta University, Raja Gopal Dhar Chakraborty said the chief minister in the past easily emerged as the victor in any by-election without much effort. "So naturally this time also logically she is expected to win easily. However, some past election records probably have kept her tense. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP was ahead of Trinamool from the ward where Mamata Banerjee herself is the voter. Even though defeated, the BJP tried to give a formidable fight in the last assembly elections as well. The chief minister does not want the repeat show of Nandigram and so she is extra cautious," he said.
Read: Bhabanipur bypoll: BJP prevented from campaigning near Mamata's house
