Long before election arithmetic and booth management became the grammar of West Bengal’s politics, Mamata Banerjee built her vocabulary on the streets. It is a language her closest aides still speak fluently, one forged in protest marches, hurried strategy sessions and an instinctive reading of the public mood. As she heads into another bruising electoral contest, challenged by a determined BJP and a charged political atmosphere shaped by the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, those who work closely with her describe a leader who remains, at her core, unchanged. Combative, accessible, deeply emotional and stubbornly resilient, Mamata is seen by her inner circle not merely as a chief minister defending her turf, but as a political survivor returning to familiar terrain.
For Firhad Hakim, Kolkata’s mayor and one of Mamata’s most trusted lieutenants, the present challenge echoes the past. His association with her stretches back over three decades, to a time when opposing the entrenched Left Front came with real physical risk. That memory, he suggests, is essential to understanding her current posture. He recalls a leader who was repeatedly attacked, whose life was under threat, yet who refused to take a step back. That instinct, he believes, defines her even today.
Hakim’s admiration is not framed in ideological terms but in deeply personal ones. He describes a leader who responds instinctively to distress, someone who would be the first to arrive in a moment of crisis. In his view, Mamata’s politics is inseparable from this emotional persona. It is also what, he argues, sustains her connection with voters, particularly in urban constituencies where familiarity and proximity matter as much as policy.
At the same time, Hakim places the current electoral battle within a broader confrontation with the Centre. Recalling his own arrest in 2021 in connection with the Narada sting case, he frames the present moment as one marked by institutional pressure and political targeting. The BJP’s push in Bengal, he says, has moved beyond conventional campaigning to what he sees as attempts to weaken the party structurally, whether through investigative agencies or electoral revisions. In this environment, Mamata’s combative stance is not just political theatre but, in his view, a necessary defence. “After 2014, the BJP is trying hard to capture Bengal. Not only Didi, I am also a victim of the BJP’s agencies. When that failed, they tried to delete all voters of West Bengal,” says Hakim. “They are making an all-round effort and they don’t believe in democracy and the Constitution. For that Didi is fighting hard and I am sure this time also she will win.”
If Hakim represents loyalty forged in struggle, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, minister of parliamentary affairs and deputy leader of the assembly, offers the perspective of a senior who recognised Mamata’s leadership early and chose to follow it. His recollections go back to her student days at Jogmaya Devi College, when she fought the dominance of left-affiliated student groups. For Chattopadhyay, the significance of that period lies not merely in the victories she secured, but in the fear she confronted and dismantled. That willingness to confront entrenched power, he suggests, marked her out from the beginning. It also laid the foundation for the political persona that would later bring down the Left Front in 2011.
The story of Chattopadhyay adds another dimension to Mamata’s leadership: discipline within the party. Despite being older and more experienced, he accepted her authority without hesitation. His decision to vacate the Bhabanipur seat to facilitate her return to the assembly in 2021 is illustrative of that dynamic.
Yet, even within this hierarchy, he emphasises her sense of respect, narrating something that happened after a recent cabinet meeting. “Mamata was coming out. Normally, her assistants open the door for her. But on that day, they were behind her, so I opened the door,” says Chattopadhyay. “She was upset. ‘Dada, you should not do that,’ she told me. ‘You are very senior to me.’ Her words made me emotional.” It is this combination of authority and personal consideration that, he believes, sustains loyalty within the party.
Where Hakim and Chattopadhyay speak from long political association, Shashi Panja represents those drawn into politics by Mamata’s persuasion. A medical practitioner with no ambition for electoral politics, Panja recounts how Mamata insisted she step into public life after the death of her father-in-law, Ajit Panja, and inducted her into the cabinet. That moment, she suggests, reflects Mamata’s ability to identify and cultivate leadership beyond traditional political pathways.
Panja’s assessment focuses on gender, an area where she believes Mamata has reshaped political practice in West Bengal. The decision to field a significant number of women candidates, she argues, is not symbolic but structural, creating space for women within the party and in governance. The Trinamool has fielded 50 women across 294 constituencies. “There need not always be an Act or formal reservation in the Lok Sabha or the Vidhan Sabha. She has done it within her own party, in both letter and spirit,” she says.
Mamata has consistently advocated women’s empowerment through schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar (direct cash support for women) and Kanyashree (incentives for girls’ education), as well as pension support for widows above 60. These schemes form the backbone of a political strategy that not only targets women as beneficiaries but also encourages their active participation within the party structure. At the same time, Panja, who now serves as minister of commerce and industries, acknowledges the challenges Mamata faces as a woman leader. Allegations and controversies, she suggests, often take on a sharper edge when directed at women. In this context, Mamata’s refusal to avoid confrontation becomes significant. Whether addressing incidents like those in Durgapur or the R.G. Kar hospital case, Panja emphasises that Mamata engages directly, even at the cost of political backlash.
Her portrayal of Mamata is of a leader who combines authority with accessibility. She describes a political culture in which the chief minister remains open to suggestions, draws colleagues into decision-making spaces and maintains a level of proximity unusual for someone in her position. Even criticism then becomes part of an internal dynamic, one that reinforces rather than weakens cohesion. “Somebody as powerful and strong as Mamata could also be somewhat distant, but she draws you close to her,” says Panja. “She is so accessible and is always open to our suggestions. Didi may not shower you with words of appreciation, but if she is quiet, she appreciates what you are doing is ok. Or else, she will scold you.”
From within the party structure, the perspective shifts slightly when viewed through the lens of strategy. The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which has been working with the Trinamool since 2019, offers a more analytical reading of Mamata’s position. For Arjun Dutta, a member of the I-PAC leadership team, the key indicator of her strength lies in electoral data. The steady increase in vote share between 2016 and 2021, he argues, reflects an ability to expand her support base beyond initial constituencies.
Dutta draws a distinction between the 2021 election and the current contest. While the former was primarily political, he sees the present scenario as shaped by administrative factors, particularly the SIR process. Concerns about disenfranchisement, he suggests, add a new layer to the electoral battle, one that requires both political messaging and organisational response.
In this context, I-PAC’s strategy operates on two levels. On the one hand, it seeks to highlight perceived threats to voters’ rights. On the other, it aims to reassure them through direct engagement and assistance, particularly in navigating documentation processes. This dual approach, combining critique with support, is designed to reinforce the party’s connection with voters. Dutta emphasises the role of continuous feedback. By engaging with voters across constituencies and presenting their concerns to the leadership, the organisation attempts to bridge the gap between governance and public expectation. This, he argues, strengthens the perception of responsiveness, a key factor in sustaining electoral support.
Underlying this strategic framework is what Dutta describes as Mamata’s enduring relationship with the people of West Bengal. “She has this absolutely irresistible bond with the public,” he says. “People say Mamata has guts, whether or not they vote for her. There is a surreal respect for her, which has been built out of that legend.” Even among those who may not vote for her, he suggests, there exists a grudging respect for her tenacity. It is a reputation built over decades, through confrontation, persistence and a refusal to conform to conventional political moulds.