Political Dynamics of Mamata Banerjee’s Regime in West Bengal (2011–2016)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53573/rhimrj.2026.v13n02.010Keywords:
Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal politics, Trinamool Congress, populism, political violence, federalism, electoral realignment, Indian state politicsAbstract
The present review paper critically analyzes the politics of the first term of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal at May 20, 2011 to May 25, 2016 which can be regarded as the turning point of the political history of the state after over 30 years of the Left Front rule. Based solely on peer-reviewed and indexed academic literature, the paper summarizes the available studies to assess the role of leadership played by Banerjee in transforming the governance, party politics, and the relationship between the state and the society. The review puts the rise of the Trinamool Congress in the context of the fall of the Left hegemony, emphasizing the contributions of anti-land acquisition movements, populist mobilization, and electoral realignment. It is a critical evaluation of the kind of governance during the rule of Banerjee in areas that relate to welfare populism, personalization of power, institutional change, and political violence persistence. The reform of the opposition politics, such as the marginalization of the Left and the initial establishment of Bharatiya Janata Party as an adversary, and the aggressive involvement of Banerjee in the central government in the Indian federal system are given particular attention. The paper suggests that the first term of Banerjee involved both democratic renewal and social inclusion with novel types of patronage and illiberalism and generated a mixed political order as opposed to an absolute break with the past.
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