<p>In the run-up to the Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that it is her against the Bharatiya Janata Party in every constituency of the state. The BJP is locked in a heated political battle with the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress in a bid to make inroads in the eastern state and dethrone the chief minister of 10 years.</p>.<p>Mamata, better known as <em>Didi</em>, is the ninth chief minister of West Bengal and is the first woman to hold the post in the state.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/ed-attaches-kolkata-asset-of-tmc-youth-leader-brother-in-cattle-smuggling-case-963634.html" target="_blank">Read | ED attaches Kolkata asset of TMC youth leader, brother in cattle-smuggling case</a></strong></p>.<p>Here is a look at Mamata Banerjee's political career.</p>.<p><strong>Early political career</strong></p>.<p>Born in Kolkata on January 5, 1955, Mamata showed interest in politics right from her school days. She studied history and Islamic history at the University of Calcutta. While studying at the Jogamaya Devi College when she was 15, she established Chhatra Parishad Unions, the student wing of the Congress Party. She continued in the Congress Party in West Bengal, serving in a variety of positions within the party and other local political organisations.</p>.<p>Mamata quickly rose through the ranks of the local Congress group. From 1976 to 1980, she was the General Secretary of Mahila Congress in West Bengal.</p>.<p>She was first elected as a member fo the Lok Sabha in 1984, becoming one of India's youngest parliamentarians, defeating veteran Communist politician Somnath Chatterjee in the Jadavpur constituency. She also became the general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress in the same year.</p>.<p>Mamata lost her seat in the 1989 general elections but was reelected in 1991 from the Calcutta South constituency. She retained this seat in the 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 elections.</p>.<p>Banerjee has held cabinet portfolios like Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development, Youth Affair and Sports and Women and Child Development in the 1991 government.</p>.<p><strong>A new political chapter: Founding the Trinamool Congress</strong></p>.<p>Due to differences within the Congress, Mamata left and became one of the founding members of the All India Trinamool Congress with Mukul Roy, who is now with the saffron party.</p>.<p>It did not take long for TMC to become the primary opposition in the state. </p>.<p>As unlikely as it sounds in today's political climate, Mamata joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre in 1999 and became the Railway Minister, presenting her first Rail Budget in 2000.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/will-remove-bjp-from-centre-after-winning-bengal-assembly-polls-mamata-banerjee-963500.html" target="_blank">Read | Will remove BJP from Centre after winning Bengal Assembly polls: Mamata Banerjee</a></strong></p>.<p>Mamata left the NDA in 2001, allying with the Congress in the West Bengal elections of 2001, only to return to the saffron party alliance in 2003. She was given charge of the Ministry of Coal and Mines.</p>.<p>TMC's alliance with the BJP in 2004 elections turned sour as the latter lost, and she became the only TMC member to be elected to Parliament from the state. Mamata also became Railway Minister for the second time in 2009.</p>.<p><strong>TMC's victory in West Bengal</strong></p>.<p>The Singur and Nandigram agitation and the image of '<em>Maa Maati Maanush</em>' that TMC gained from the two movements helped Mamata sweep the 2011 West Bengal elections with the TMC alliance bagging 227 seats, and the TMC winning 184 seats. This was a historic moment in Bengal politics as the Left Front was dethroned in the state after being at the helm for 34 years.</p>.<p>In the 2016 assembly elections, TMC once again won with a landslide two-thirds majority under Mamata's leadership, winning 211 seats out of the total 293. TMC contested the election alone, and riding on the wave of Mamata's intact popularity, became the first ruling party to win without an ally since 1962 in West Bengal.</p>.<p>During her tenure as the CM, the Saradha Group financial scandal and the Rose Valley financial scandals came to light. Some of her cabinet ministers were accused of money laundering. The financial scandal was caused by the collapse of a Ponzi scheme run by Rose Valley Group.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mamatas-appeasement-politics-is-the-main-reason-behind-infiltration-in-bengal-modi-963380.html" target="_blank">Read | Mamata's appeasement politics is the main reason behind infiltration in Bengal: Modi</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Personal achievements</strong></p>.<p>Time magazine in 2012 mentioned Mamata in its '100 Most Influential People in the World' list. The Bloomberg Markets magazine marked her as one of the "50 Most Influential People in the World of Finance" in September 2012.</p>.<p>Mamata has represented India at the World Women Round Table Conference held in Russia.</p>.<p>She has authored four books titled 'Smile', 'Slaughter of Democracy', 'Struggle for Existence' and 'Dark Horizon'. She has authored many Bengali books.<br /><br /></p>
<p>In the run-up to the Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that it is her against the Bharatiya Janata Party in every constituency of the state. The BJP is locked in a heated political battle with the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress in a bid to make inroads in the eastern state and dethrone the chief minister of 10 years.</p>.<p>Mamata, better known as <em>Didi</em>, is the ninth chief minister of West Bengal and is the first woman to hold the post in the state.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/ed-attaches-kolkata-asset-of-tmc-youth-leader-brother-in-cattle-smuggling-case-963634.html" target="_blank">Read | ED attaches Kolkata asset of TMC youth leader, brother in cattle-smuggling case</a></strong></p>.<p>Here is a look at Mamata Banerjee's political career.</p>.<p><strong>Early political career</strong></p>.<p>Born in Kolkata on January 5, 1955, Mamata showed interest in politics right from her school days. She studied history and Islamic history at the University of Calcutta. While studying at the Jogamaya Devi College when she was 15, she established Chhatra Parishad Unions, the student wing of the Congress Party. She continued in the Congress Party in West Bengal, serving in a variety of positions within the party and other local political organisations.</p>.<p>Mamata quickly rose through the ranks of the local Congress group. From 1976 to 1980, she was the General Secretary of Mahila Congress in West Bengal.</p>.<p>She was first elected as a member fo the Lok Sabha in 1984, becoming one of India's youngest parliamentarians, defeating veteran Communist politician Somnath Chatterjee in the Jadavpur constituency. She also became the general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress in the same year.</p>.<p>Mamata lost her seat in the 1989 general elections but was reelected in 1991 from the Calcutta South constituency. She retained this seat in the 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 elections.</p>.<p>Banerjee has held cabinet portfolios like Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development, Youth Affair and Sports and Women and Child Development in the 1991 government.</p>.<p><strong>A new political chapter: Founding the Trinamool Congress</strong></p>.<p>Due to differences within the Congress, Mamata left and became one of the founding members of the All India Trinamool Congress with Mukul Roy, who is now with the saffron party.</p>.<p>It did not take long for TMC to become the primary opposition in the state. </p>.<p>As unlikely as it sounds in today's political climate, Mamata joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre in 1999 and became the Railway Minister, presenting her first Rail Budget in 2000.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/will-remove-bjp-from-centre-after-winning-bengal-assembly-polls-mamata-banerjee-963500.html" target="_blank">Read | Will remove BJP from Centre after winning Bengal Assembly polls: Mamata Banerjee</a></strong></p>.<p>Mamata left the NDA in 2001, allying with the Congress in the West Bengal elections of 2001, only to return to the saffron party alliance in 2003. She was given charge of the Ministry of Coal and Mines.</p>.<p>TMC's alliance with the BJP in 2004 elections turned sour as the latter lost, and she became the only TMC member to be elected to Parliament from the state. Mamata also became Railway Minister for the second time in 2009.</p>.<p><strong>TMC's victory in West Bengal</strong></p>.<p>The Singur and Nandigram agitation and the image of '<em>Maa Maati Maanush</em>' that TMC gained from the two movements helped Mamata sweep the 2011 West Bengal elections with the TMC alliance bagging 227 seats, and the TMC winning 184 seats. This was a historic moment in Bengal politics as the Left Front was dethroned in the state after being at the helm for 34 years.</p>.<p>In the 2016 assembly elections, TMC once again won with a landslide two-thirds majority under Mamata's leadership, winning 211 seats out of the total 293. TMC contested the election alone, and riding on the wave of Mamata's intact popularity, became the first ruling party to win without an ally since 1962 in West Bengal.</p>.<p>During her tenure as the CM, the Saradha Group financial scandal and the Rose Valley financial scandals came to light. Some of her cabinet ministers were accused of money laundering. The financial scandal was caused by the collapse of a Ponzi scheme run by Rose Valley Group.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mamatas-appeasement-politics-is-the-main-reason-behind-infiltration-in-bengal-modi-963380.html" target="_blank">Read | Mamata's appeasement politics is the main reason behind infiltration in Bengal: Modi</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Personal achievements</strong></p>.<p>Time magazine in 2012 mentioned Mamata in its '100 Most Influential People in the World' list. The Bloomberg Markets magazine marked her as one of the "50 Most Influential People in the World of Finance" in September 2012.</p>.<p>Mamata has represented India at the World Women Round Table Conference held in Russia.</p>.<p>She has authored four books titled 'Smile', 'Slaughter of Democracy', 'Struggle for Existence' and 'Dark Horizon'. She has authored many Bengali books.<br /><br /></p>
