The Left Front may be facing the toughest fight in its three-decade rule in West Bengal, but chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has won the battle for eyeballs over arch rival, Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee.
The stage was set on March 27, when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was pitted against Mamata Banerjee on two different channels at the same time. The verdict is, Bhattacharjee scored over Banerjee, according to the latest viewership report.
The latest TAM Peoplemetre System shows that Star Ananda’s Janatar Darbare Mamata (Mamata in People’s Court) got a TVR of 1.09 per cent, vis-à-vis 1.8 for 24 Ghanta’s Phone Mukyomantri (Phone CM). Both the programmes were aired at 7pm. The ratings were despite a wider reach for Star Ananda at 950,000 households compared to 24 Ghanta’s 907,000 households.
Sources in 24 Ghanta said, “We got a marketshare of 61 per cent compared to 36 per cent for Star Ananda. Timespend per viewer for our programme was 31 minutes while it was 18 minutes for Star Ananda.” An e-mail sent to Star Ananda went unanswered.
However, the CPI(M) is cashing in on the ratings. Sitting MP and Kolkata North candidate for the CPI(M), Mohammed Salim, said, “This is natural. It shows the mood of the people, especially urban and suburban.”
Trinamool Congress leader, Partha Chatterjee, brushed aside Salim’s claims and said, the ratings were definitely not a reflection of the mood of the people. “The mood is best manifested in CPI(M)’s admission. They think the opposition will get double the seats in the upcoming elections,” said Chatterjee.
Chatterjee also pointed out that the two channels have a pre-determined viewership. “24 Ghanta has stuck to the Buddhadeb’s side throughout while Star Ananda occasionally changes sides. Also, the two interviews were different. Buddhadeb spoke from the standpoint of a chief minister, making promises which he does not keep. Mamata’s interview was more wide ranging, and shows her as the girl-next-door,” he said.
The formats for the two interfaces were different. Bhattacharjee’s was a phone-in format where people called in to ask questions on various issues, Singur, Nandigram, and even the Third Front.
Bhattacharjee drove in the point that the government would continue with its industrialization drive as a means for job creation. On Nano, he said, the people of Singur wanted the Nano project, which was conveyed to Ratan Tata.
Banerjee’s interview was set in a car on her way for election campaign, where she answered questions posed by people from various walks of life, recorded earlier. The questions ranged from her diet to Singur and Nandigram.
