Buoyed by the landslide victory that pulverized the 34 year-old Left Front rule in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said that the winning coalition would provide good governance and an impartial administration.

"The priority of the new government would be to restore people's democratic rights and provide good governance and impartial administration, free from politicization," she told journalists at her residence here.

Banerjee said she will formulate a land policy which will work both for industry and agriculture. "I will urge the Centre to ensure an uniform policy so that farmers get their proper rights."

"Today is a festival of democracy. I am thankful to the Election Commission. People this time could vote fearlessly as in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. In 2004 when I was the only TC MP in Lok Sabha there were atrocities on our people," she said.

Mamata said, "I have no family of my own, except Ma, mati, Manush (Mother, Land and people). I have been fighting for the last 34 years. There was no development in Bengal under Left rule, rather they politicised everything."

Claiming that the Left Front government had totally failed, Banerjee reiterated her old charge that there was state-sponsored terrorism during its rule.

"I respect the Leftists, but the Left Front deviated from the Left ideology and pursued its so called Leftism which was not liked by the people. In fact, they (CPI-M) did not allow people to vote.

"The Left Front was a government of the Marxists, for the Marxists and by the Marxists," she said.

Mamata claims victory for ma, maati, manush

Drawing parallels between the victory of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal elections and the "freedom struggle", its chief Mamata Banerjee today promised good governance and vowed to end "autocracy and atrocities".

Addressing a huge gathering of supporters outside her house here after a historic win over CPI(M)-led Left Front which was in power in the state for 34 years, Banerjeee said, "This is a victory of democracy, of 'ma-mati-manush (mother, land and people)."

"We will give good governance, good administration. Not autocracy. We want to see victory of democracy. The atrocities will be stopped. The will of the people will prevail," a visibly emotional Banerjee said.

Taking a swipe at the over three-decade-old Left rule in West Bengal, she said, "This is a victory of the people over 35 years of atrocities, deprivation and oppression.

"Not only in Bengal and India, people across the world were waiting for this verdict and we express our gratitude to all of them," Banerjee said.

She said her government will bring democracy and end "one-party domination" in every sphere of life.

"The win has come after a long struggle and it was just like the freedom struggle," the 54-year-old leader said amid jubilation by her party workers.

Banerjee said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had called her to congratulate on the victory of the TMC-Congress alliance. "The Prime Minister is overwhelmed with our triumph," she said.

Amid fears that the change of government after so many years might trigger political violence in the state, she appealed to supporters to celebrate the victory peacefully.

"Please maintain peace. Do not fall prey to any provocation. This is the year of 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. We should celebrate our victory peacefully as a tribute to Tagore," she said.

Banerjee said that the "victory is of 'jangal mahal' (Naxal-affected forested areas of the state), of the hills (reference to northern areas where Gorkhaland movement is on) and of our minority brethren".

 

I am grateful to Prime Minister, Sonia, says Mamata

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said she was grateful to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi who sent congratulatory messages to her for the TC-Congress historic performance in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

"The Prime Minister sent me a congratulatory message from Afghanistan for our victory. I am overwhelmed. I am grateful to him," she said while addressing the media and party men outside her Kalighat office.

Banerjee said she was also grateful to Congress president Sonia Gandhi who also sent similar message to her.

Many other political leaders have sent such messages, she said.

 

Buddhadeb resigns, swept away by Mamata wave

After leading the Front to a landslide victory with 235 out of 294 seats in the assembly election in 2006, Bhattacharjee embarked on a mission of fast forwarding the industrialisation process in the state inviting national as well as foreign companies to set up factories.

His slogan, 'Do it now', symbolised his resolve to rejuvenate West Bengal which lagged behind many other states.

Aggressively pushing his pro-industry stance, he strived to be the architect of modern Bengal. One of his first achievements after taking over as the chief minister of the seventh Left Front government, was to sign an agreement with the Tatas to set up a Nano car unit at Singur.

Ironically, Singur and later Nandigram, where land agitations put paid to his industrial dreams, were to become the Left's nemesis.

Handpicked by Marxist icon Promode Dasgupta, Bhattacharjee was elected as MLA from Cossipore in 1977 for the first time when LF assumed power in the state.

He became the information and cultural affairs minister, in addition to holding the urban development portfolio.

In 1996, Bhattacharjee took over the home (police) portfolio.

Nephew of revolutionary poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, Buddhadeb played an active role in politics from his college days and was appointed the state secretary of the CPI(M) youth wing, DYFI.

In 1966, he got the CPI(M)'s membership and in 1968, Bhattacharjee became a politburo member of the party.

Bhattacharjee's resignation came after the CPI(M)'s state secretariat meeting which reviewed the Front's poll reverses.