Shobhaa De: Mamata lost faith of her own people after TMC Bengal defeat
Synopsis
Shobhaa De's IANS interview pulls no punches: Mamata Banerjee's TMC defeat in West Bengal, she argues, was self-inflicted — driven by corruption allegations, crumbling infrastructure, and a failure to stand by women victims. De also says there is no reason a woman must succeed a woman, backing Suvendu Adhikari for the top post.
Key Takeaways
Shobhaa De said Mamata Banerjee has lost the faith and respect of West Bengal voters, including her once-staunch supporters.
De cited infrastructure deterioration , unemployment , and corruption allegations against Banerjee, her party, and family members as key factors.
De alleged Jungle Raj and Gunda Raj existed under TMC's rule, with voters reportedly terrorised and intimidated at the polls.
Banerjee's failure to support the mother of a rape and murder victim was cited as a turning point that alienated women voters .
De backed Suvendu Adhikari for Chief Minister, saying merit — not gender — should determine leadership.
De noted that PM Narendra Modi is expected to visit West Bengal and Home Minister Amit Shah is already present as the political transition unfolds.
Novelist and columnist Shobhaa De on Thursday, 7 May delivered a sharp critique of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying she had lost the faith and respect of her own people following the party's defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections. Speaking exclusively to IANS from Mumbai, De argued that Banerjee's gradual alienation from her core supporters — combined with allegations of corruption, infrastructure neglect, and mishandling of crimes against women — had made the electoral reckoning inevitable.
Alienation from Core Supporters
Shobhaa De said that Banerjee, once regarded as an unassailable leader by her base, had steadily distanced herself from ordinary West Bengalis.
Point of View
While sharp, reflects a sentiment that has been building well beyond literary circles — that Mamata Banerjee's political identity as a grassroots fighter had become increasingly difficult to reconcile with the governance record of her third term. The rape-and-murder case De alludes to — widely understood as a reference to the RG Kar Medical College incident — was a watershed moment that fractured Banerjee's carefully cultivated image as a champion of women. What mainstream coverage often misses is the class dimension: it was not the urban opposition but Banerjee's own rural and lower-middle-class base that reportedly shifted. Whether the BJP can consolidate this mandate into stable governance in a state with deep factional loyalties is the harder, less-asked question.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shobhaa De say about Mamata Banerjee after the West Bengal election results?
Shobhaa De said Mamata Banerjee had lost the faith and respect of her own people, citing corruption allegations, crumbling infrastructure, unemployment, and her failure to support victims of crimes against women. She said Banerjee's supporters once believed she could do no wrong, but that trust had eroded over the last few years.
Why did women voters in West Bengal turn against Mamata Banerjee, according to Shobhaa De?
De said Banerjee failed to stand by the mother of a rape and murder victim, which she described as a critical turning point. She noted that it was ultimately the women of West Bengal who played a decisive role in defeating Banerjee at the polls.
Did Shobhaa De support a woman Chief Minister for West Bengal after Mamata Banerjee?
No. De said she is gender-neutral on leadership and backed Suvendu Adhikari for the Chief Minister's post, arguing that the person who has proved himself deserves the opportunity regardless of gender.
What did Shobhaa De say about lawlessness under TMC rule in West Bengal?
De alleged that 'Jungle Raj and Gunda Raj' existed in parts of West Bengal under TMC, saying there was proof that voters were terrorised and intimidated, with many afraid to even come out and vote. She said ruling through fear inevitably backfires.
What happens next in West Bengal's political transition, according to Shobhaa De?
De noted that the new Chief Minister's swearing-in has already been announced on Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, a symbolically significant date. She said PM Narendra Modi is expected to visit the state and Home Minister Amit Shah is already present, while Mamata Banerjee's next move — and the Governor's response — remains to be seen.
