Mamata Banarjee
Mamata’s 'I am the candidate' gambit returns for 2026 Bengal battle
The Trinamool Congress supremo has gone back to a decade-old political stance as her party faces a plethora of challenges before the upcoming elections
“I am the candidate in all seats,” said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a rally in Purulia district of the state on Sunday (March 29), less than a month before it heads into the first phase of elections on April 23.
Also read: BJP uses RG Kar victim’s mother’s candidacy to push poll agenda on safety and justice
This is not the first time she has made such a remark. Back in 2016, when her party was seeking to return to power for the first time after its landmark 2011 triumph that ended the Left's 34-year-old rule, she had also declared herself the candidate in all 294 seats. On that occasion, her words came in north Bengal, unlike this time when she spoke in the south. The strategy had paid off.
But why did Mamata have to repeat the same in 2026? With her Trinamool Congress (TMC) already in power for three consecutive terms and the Opposition looking largely split, an identical posturing brings back the question: Is she perceiving real threats? Ten years ago, there were the demons of Saradha and Narada corruption allegations and local issues, such as the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Kolkata, that the ruling party was facing.
What in 2026?
There are actually three reasons for which she repeated the "I am the candidate in all seats" stance once again.
The SIR factor
The first major factor is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has stirred controversy in Bengal politics. With a substantial number of voters getting removed from the list, including in Mamata’s own Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata, the TMC will be apprehensive about the results, despite the leader’s popularity and support base.
Also read: West Bengal elections: Why Owaisi-Humayun alliance could hurt Congress, more than TMC
The party has accused the Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of conspiring to remove it from power, with Mamata even seen fighting the case in the Supreme Court. But despite her putting up a brave face, the situation suggests her party is bracing for a tougher contest.
Anti-incumbency
Close to the SIR comes the second reason, which is anti-incumbency. The TMC is facing a 15-year-heavy anti-incumbency baggage this time, and despite Mamata coming up with populist measures time and again, like in forms of Kanyashri, Laksmir Bhata and Yuvasathi schemes, the party knows that issues such as Sandeshkhali, the RG Kar rape-murder case, allegations of syndicate politics, and claims of minority appeasement have contributed to public resentment, particularly among the urban middle class.
The party has denied tickets to 74 sitting MLAs for the upcoming polls, indicating an attempt to counter voter fatigue.
Leadership push
The third factor is the party’s reliance on Mamata’s leadership. The TMC is not known to be a party of ideology. Initially, it was known to be an anti-CPIM club which only aimed to make Bengal Left-free. Once that goal has been achieved, the party has not really rediscovered itself.
Also read: Bengal pre-poll violence puts EC’s zero-tolerance policy to test
Although Abhishek Banerjee, its No.2, has said of late that the TMC’s ideology is welfarism, it is Mamata’s firebrand image that continues to drive its campaigns. By positioning herself as the face across constituencies, she aims to consolidate voter support and strengthen weaker candidates.
Over the years, the TMC has fielded celebrity faces, including film stars and sportspersons, in elections, to attract voters, but to secure it fourth successive term, it’s Mamata’s charisma which has to deliver.
The ploy has worked in the past. Whether it delivers results again will become clear when the votes are counted on May 4.
The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.
