After a gruelling 61 days and 108 events that defied doctors’ advice, Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrapped up her general election campaign with a 12km march from Sukanta Setu to Majerhat in the city’s south.

The Trinamool Congress chief had begun her campaign with a rally for Mahua Moitra in Krishnanagar on March 31, the delayed start forced by an injury on March 14.

On Thursday, she walked through Jadavpur (which sent her to Parliament for the first time, in 1984) and Kolkata Dakshin (which she won six times between 1991 and 2009), as campaigning for this election ended countrywide ahead of the last phase of polling on Saturday.

In between, exceeding expectations and assuaging all anxiety, Mamata conducted 107 rallies or road shows in Bengal, covering each of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats. The only other campaign event she participated in was a rally in Assam on April 17.

Other than a two-day break on May 9 and 10, the 69-year-old chief minister went non-stop, doing 35 events more than her 36-year-old nephew and heir apparent, Abhishek Banerjee.

“It was a big surprise, the way she managed to do it this time. Especially since she hasn’t really been as well physically as she used to be till about a year ago,” a Trinamool insider said.

“She has suffered several injuries and undergone various kinds of treatment including surgical procedures. She was critical of the seven-phase poll schedule but once she hit the campaign trail, Didi used the long-drawn poll process to her advantage.”

On March 14, days before the election had been notified, Mamata had hit her forehead against an object with sharp edges — probably a showcase — at her home and suffered a fall as well.

Mamata Banerjee during her election rally near Jadavpur Sukanta Setu, Calcutta, on Wednesday. Pradip Sanyal

She had deep cuts on her forehead and nose. A team of senior physicians from SSKM Hospital advised treatment and observation under rest.

“But she did not allow anything to stop her. She is such a powerhouse even at her age – it’s an inspiration to us all,” the party insider said.

Mamata delivered a short speech at the beginning of Thursday’s march, saying the BJP was unlikely to return to power. She accused the party of a total disregard for the constitutional responsibilities that come with the Prime Minister’s chair.

“There is a distinct likelihood that — if the counting processes are duly conducted — the BJP will not retain power this time,” she said.

“The Prime Minister’s chair is invaluable, and with it comes constitutional responsibilities. They simply don’t care.”

Mamata said Trinamool would complain to the Election Commission if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meditation on the Vivekananda Rock in Kanyakumari was televised, asserting it would be a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

“Every time (after the campaign deadline expires), he (Modi) goes and sits somewhere for publicity for 48 hours. He could well meditate, but why do so in the presence of camera crews?” she said.

A source in the Trinamool leadership said there had been worries, particularly between December and February, that the old-versus-young debate consuming the party had led to crucial time being wasted ahead of the general election.

“Even before the injury forced that two-week break, there were all sorts of delays because of the internal feuding as well as the cold war that went on for a while between her and Abhishek,” he said.

“But the way Didi managed to compensate for lost time since her return from that injury-imposed break — with two-three, sometimes even four programmes a day — she laid all the worries to rest.”

The source added: “She has decimated the Opposition with a blistering, (Virender) Sehwag-esque century.”

Abhishek too made up after Trinamool had launched its campaign with a Brigade rally on March 10. He attended not just 72 campaign events but also dozens of closed-door strategy meetings that came up with a battle plan for every seat in the state.