Women, from different places and various age groups, were at the forefront of Trinamool's mega rally on Sunday.

It was yet another validation of Mamata Banerjee's unmatched popularity among the women, who constitute nearly 50 per cent of Bengal's electorate and have become a pivotal voting bloc.

A group of around 100 people came from a cluster of villages in Kaliaganj, North Dinajpur. Half of them were women, said Sudhir Ray, a panchayat member who was with some of the members on Madan Street, trying to find a way to Central Avenue.

"Almost every family in our neighbourhood has at least one beneficiary of Lakshmir Bhandar. Even people who do not support Trinamool acknowledge that didi has been able to take these schemes to a large section of the population," said Beena Ray, who was part of the group.

Lakshmir Bhandar entails a direct cash transfer to women between 25 and 60 years. The Mamata government hiked Lakshmir Bhandar's amount to ₹1,000 a month from ₹500 for beneficiaries in the general category.

The scheme was central to the Trinamool election campaign and is believed to have played a crucial role in tilting the scales in favour of Bengal's ruling party.

A group of women from Entally walked towards the rally venue, some of them waving balloons in Trinamool colours. The majority of them were senior citizens.

Lily Joseph, 69, a party worker, led the group. "Mamata has walked the talk on women empowerment. She has given tickets to so many women in the Lok Sabha polls," said Joseph.

Amid a dip in the number of women elected to the Lok Sabha this year, Trinamool boasted the highest percentage of female MPs among its winning candidates. A total of 38 per cent of Trinamool MPs this year are women, the highest among any political party in the country, according to data analysed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).

"We are didi's soldiers. Don't go by our age. We come to the July 21 rally every year," said Debi Das, 65.

A slender frame clad in a familiar blue-bordered white sari, slippers and spectacles, walked briskly through SN Banerjee Road. Almost everyone around took a second glance at her. Many of them took her pictures. The Mamata doppelganger goes by the name of Priyoshi Ghosh. An aspiring teacher from Nadia's Ranaghat, Ghosh is an "ardent admirer" of Mamata Banerjee.

"I have been a beneficiary of Kanyashree. My mother gets Lakshmir Bhandar. Didi's schemes are helping so many people. I became involved in student politics because of didi. Like her, I want to make a difference in people's lives," said Ghosh, who has completed her BEd.

Anila Khan, president of the Trinamool women wing in Ward 42 (Chitpore) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, led a group of over 100 women to the rally.

"I have been associated with Trinamool for more than 20 years. Around 2004-2005, I remember that hardly any woman from this neighbourhood would turn up at political rallies. But now, they are an integral part of any Trinamool rally. Therein lies the success of Mamata Banerjee," said Khan.