West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo Mamata Banerjee, born in 1955 in Kolkata, turned 67 on January 5. Popularly known as Bengal Tigress, Banerjee is an idol to many women across the nation. She has created history in Indian Politics as she is not just the first female chief minister of West Bengal but she is also the first woman minister to have served as Minister of Railways twice. she was the first female minister of Coal. Mamata served as Minister of Human Resource Development, Youth Affairs and Sports, Minister of Women and Child Development in the Union Cabinet and presently she is the only female CM serving in our country. Banerjee is the lone warrior who created history in 2011 when she brought to an end 34-year-long communist rule in West Bengal. Let's take a look at some unknown facts about the West Bengal chief minister:
Mamta Banerjee, commonly known as Didi, became politically active when she was just 15 years old. She started her political career with the Congress party in the 1970s.
She has done graduation in History from Jogamaya Devi College. She has also done Master’s in Islamic History and holds degrees in Law and Education as well.
In 1975, she became a known face when she danced on the bonnet of Jayprakash Narayan's car as a mark of protest against the socialist leader.
In 1984, Didi created history and became one of India's youngest parliamentarians ever after defeating veteran Communist politician Somnath Chatterjee from Jadavpur parliamentary Constituency in West Bengal. It was the only time when Chatterjee was ever defeated in Lok Sabha elections. She became the general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress same year.
In 1997, following difference of opinion with Congress, Mamata left the party. She founded her own Trinamool Congress in 1998 along with Mukul Roy. Her party in no time became the primary opposition party against the long-standing Communist government in West Bengal.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee became chief minister after her party won 184 seats out of 293. In 2016, she became CM for second term after her party won won 211 seats in the state Assembly.
The tigress, on 11 December 1998, dragged Samajwadi Party MP Daroga Prasad Saroj, by his collar, out of the Lok Sabha in order to prevent him from protesting against the Women's Reservation Bill.
In 2017, the United Nations honored Mamata Banerjee with the highest public service award for her girl child project 'Kanyashree.'
Once a stenographer, Mamata Banerjee has been named among the world's 100 most influential people of 2021 by TIME magazine. "Unlike many other women in Indian politics, Mamata has never been framed as someone’s wife, mother, daughter or partner. Of Banerjee, it is said, she doesn’t lead her party, the Trinamool Congress—she is the party. The street-fighter spirit and self-made life in a patriarchal culture set her apart" , her profile in the magazine says.
Mamata Banerjee became chief minister for the third time after 2021 Assembly polls. She is the fierce Indian politician, who always has distant views and very often sparks controversy.
