Rahul Gandhi seems to have met his match in Indian polity. And it is a formidable one. West Bengal’s incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is fighting the most important elections of her life, has emerged as a true competitor to Rahul Gandhi when it comes to making no sense. For many years, Rahul Gandhi has been the unchallenged hegemon of Indian politics in terms of losing elections, making a mockery out of himself and the Congress and engaging in verbal gaffes. Mamata Banerjee – the TMC matriarch, however, has now proven that she is no less.
Banerjee’s desperation has begun showing physical effects. In the latest news, the West Bengal Chief Minister has referred to herself as a ‘donkey’. Why you may ask? For not recognising the ‘traitors’ within her own party, who have been jumping ship to the BJP en masse, thus leaving the TMC in a shortage of real-time leaders who know the finer details of politics in the state. All that the TMC now has are new candidates and a large chunk of celebrities who have been airdropped as firefighters to try and save the party’s fortunes on tough seats.
Referring to the Adhikari family, Mamata Banerjee said, “I say I am a ‘big donkey’ (Ami ekta boro gadha) for having failed to recognise them. I don’t know (about it), but people say their `empire’ is worth Rs 5,000 crore and they will use money to buy votes. But don’t vote for them.” She also compared the Adhikari family with “Mir Jafar” (traitor) and said that the people of the region will not tolerate it and give befitting replies with ballots. Mir Jafaris considered a traitor for deceiving the then Nawab of Bengal during the Battle of Plassey in 1757, paving the way for British rule in India.
She also blamed the Adhikari family for ruling the district as “zamindars” (landlords) by taking full control of the area, claiming that even she was not allowed to hold public meetings there. The attack by Banerjee came in the backdrop of TMC MP Sisir Adhikari, the father of Suvendu Adhikari, joining the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday.
In February, when Mamata Banerjee first gave signs of having imbibed a lot from Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, she had social media laughing its guts out. In an incoherent and inexplicable manner, Mamata Banerjee said, “A few naughty cows left the party to join BJP, as Mir Jafar joined the British at the Battle of Plassey. They are now making a lot of noise…hamba hamba, ramba ramba, kamba kamba, dumba dumba, bumba bumba, bomba bomba.”
As the elections to West Bengal near, Mamata Banerjee is evidently getting worked up and giving stiff competition to Rahul Gandhi when it comes to making no sense. After losing the polls to the BJP come May 2, one can only imagine the transformations the Ma, Mati, Manush leader will face.