Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday further cemented his place as the “shenapoti (general)” of his aunt Mamata Banerjee’s party, the Trinamool Congress, as the results validated his confident forecast of “around 30” seats from Bengal, even after major exit polls had predicted heavy losses.
Tuesday’s historic mandate in Bengal was also, in some ways, another referendum after the Assembly elections of 2021 on Trinamool’s succession plan, made so by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duopoly’s relentless attacks against the alleged bua-bhatija-vaad (aunt-nephew-ism).
The Diamond Harbour MP not only retained his own seat with over 68.47 per cent of the vote share and a stupendous victory margin of 7,10,930, but he was also instrumental in the victory of the 28 others (provisional) from his party this time. Not once through the gruelling campaign over three months did he lose focus on Trinamool’s core issues such as central deprivation and the “reality” of Sandeshkhali in the campaign for the perform-or-perish elections, leaving the task of counterattacking Modi and Shah to Mamata.
“I told you from the beginning that I have to build up three generations (for succession). I am grateful to them, my three generations are coming up, and that’s why Abhishek also played a very important role,” said Mamata in the evening, in response to a question from this newspaper on his role during a news conference, in which she appeared alongside her nephew.
Abhishek led the campaign from the front with 72 outings this summer in addition to her 107 in the state.
He marshaled the forces behind the scenes, with countless closed-door meetings for foolproof poll management, drawing up a unique strategy for each of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and the 294 Assembly segments therein.
“From the campaign design to the selection of the core themes, from micromanaging every aspect of the monumental (March 10) Brigade event in which the campaign was launched to the final selection of candidates… it was Abhishek all the way,” said a senior member of the state cabinet.
Abhishek was instrumental in keeping the morale up for the party’s rank and file, after the disappointing predictions of the exit polls, saying there was no way the BJP could cross a dozen seats in the state this time.
“We were so worried when he went into a shell over various points of difference with her (Mamata) since Puja last year, and it remained unclear till even the beginning of this year what role he would play,” said the minister, referring to the old-versus-young debate that caused a cold civil war in the Trinamool dispensation.
With the results, the 36-year-old decisively silenced critics not only outside but also within the party.
“Some people left for the BJP, mainly over their differences with Abhishek. Suvendu (Adhikari) is a prime example. His methods were questioned by many in the party, including me, but he never budged from what he believed was right,” said a veteran in Trinamool.
“The BJP tried dragging his name into alleged scams. They did not even spare his wife or children, unleashing central agencies to hound even her family…. He was truly inspiring in his composure and firm refusal to deviate from the meticulous poll strategy he helped craft,” he said.
“I must admit I was wrong about him,” the Trinamool veteran and Mamata loyalist added. “He is one of the most mature politicians in the country now, and he isn’t even 40 yet.”
The saffron camp’s intent, clearly, was to create a perception or a narrative in Bengal against Abhishek, akin to the ecosystem’s exercise against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi nationally. However, the BJP’s initiative backfired this time.
