In Pictures: Janata ki Mamata Remains the Queen of Bengal

These photos trace Didi’s journey over the last three decades.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (Photo: PTI)

Mamata Banerjee swung to power in West Bengal and became Chief Minister in 2011, ending a staggering 34 years of Left rule in the state. In the 2016 Assembly elections, she bettered her performance with her party, Trinamool Congress, clinching 200-plus seats.

From fighting the Left rule, to fighting criticism, here’s a glimpse of Mamata’s three-decade long political journey.

The Beginning

Mamata Banerjee became active in politics at the age of 15. (Photo: Youtube screengrab/Akash Banerjee)

Mamata Banerjee started her political career in the 1970s as a student leader of Chhatra Porishad, the student wing of Congress.

Didi started her journey with the Congress party and became the General Secretary of Mahila Congress, West Bengal between 1976 and 1980. (Photo: Youtube screengrab/ Akash Banerjee)

Assuming Power

Banerjee was one of India’s youngest parliamentarians when she was elected. (Photo: Youtube screengrab/Akash Banerjee)

In her debut Lok Sabha election, she defeated CPI (M) heavyweight and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee from Jadavpur constituency in 1984.

Ups and Downs

She suffered her first lost in the year 1989. (Photo: Youtube screengrab/Akash Banerjee)

In 1989, Mamata lost the Lok Sabha election.

Mamata came back to power in the general elections of 1991. (Photo: Reuters)

In 1991, she became the Union Minister for HRD, Youth Affairs and Sports in the Narasimha Rao government.

She retained the Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency for six consecutive terms from 1991-2009.

Her ideological differences with the Congress began after she took power in 1991.(Photo: Reuters)

From Congress to Trinamool

Banerjee formed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 1998. (Photo: Reuters)

Mamata broke away from the Congress and formed her own party, the Trinamool Congress, in 1998.

The following year, she became the Railway Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Mamata was the lone Trinamool MP in the Lok Sabha.

Janata ki Mamata

She witnessed the ousting of the left in West Bengal in 2011 and became the chief Minister. (Photo: Reuters)

In 2011, Mamata ended 34 years of Left rule in West Bengal and stormed to power with a thumping majority. She won 184 out of the 294 seats.