The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections is scheduled to be held on March 27. The election season has already seen a host of controversies but the latest controversy to make the waves is the astronomical rise in the wealth fortunes of the TMC leaders in the last few years. According to a report released by poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), TMC candidate and sitting MLA from Ranibandh (ST) constituency in Bankura district, Jyotsna Mandi saw a whopping 1985.68 per cent rise in her wealth in the last five years, which rivals even the biggest billionaires of the world.
According to an affidavit filed by Mandi to the Election Commission, her total assets grew from Rs 1,96,633 in 2016 to Rs 41,01,144 in 2021, an increase of Rs 39,04,511. However, Mandi is not the only TMC candidate who partook in TMC’s grand Ponzi scheme and made big bucks. Assets of another TMC sitting MLA from Keshiary (ST) constituency in Paschim Medinipur district, Paresh Murmu, also rose by 246.34 per cent. In 2016, his assets were worth Rs 11,57,926 and now those are valued at Rs 40,10,329, ADR in its survey found.
It has allegedly been a trend amongst the ruling TMC, where the state leaders have minted some serious money during their tenure as office-bearers. While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s current affidavit has not been analysed by ADR, one can take a look at the 2016 data and infer that Didi has led from the front in this Ponzi scheme.
Mamata’s assets in September 2011, when she contested a by-election from the Bhabhanipur Assembly constituency, was Rs. 15,84,189. However, during the 2016 assembly elections, the TMC supremo declared in her affidavit that her movable assets had inflated up to Rs 30,45,012 – meaning she had doubled her asset value.
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While Jyotsana Mandi is taking the accolades in the year 2021 for having recorded the highest percentage increase in wealth – it was another TMC candidate in the previous assembly elections who took similar honours.
The current Minister of Technical Education in the cabinet of Mamata and an MLA from the Dhaniakhali constituency, Ashima Patra had recorded the highest jump in assets value from 2011 to 2016 in terms of percentage with a 3,185% jump which puts the numbers of Mandi and Murmu to shame.
Such has been the turbulent five-year rule of TMC and Mamata that West Bengal has plunged into a state of deep crisis with routine discussions of evoking President’s rule in the state taking place in the mainstream media. While the public bears the brunt of Mamata’s lackadaisical approach, her MLAs continue to rake in the moolah by fleecing the exchequer.
