The drubbing came from all sides for West Bengal's incumbent government. From even aboard Mamata Banerjee's Railways.
“I am ashamed to say that I am a Left supporter. I have actively supported the party and its ideologies my whole life, but the government has done nothing in the last three decades,” said a disillusioned sixty-year old, on a suburban local train en route to Kolkata. Indeed, it was disenchantment for the Left Front as it was mauled, yet again, by the Trinamool Congress and its leader Mamata Banerjee, also Union Railway minister, in municipal polls across the state.
The elections, widely seen as the 'semi-final' before the Assembly hustings next year, is to result in a change of guard at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Bidhannagar Municipality amongst others.
But for those who ride the Railways everyday, the elections and the subsequent results seemingly demonstrate the fact that the peoples' mandate matters — especially after sabotage, allegedly triggered by Naxal rebels, killed over 150 in the Jnaneswari train accident at Jhargram last week. “A perfect ballot answer to the bloody bullets,” claimed one passenger. Even as shouts of celebration rented the air, and colour smeared across faces, some chose to bury the past. “The fate is judged long before the sabotage. If it had had any effect then it is minimal, because everyone knows that change is needed. And I am happy that West Bengal people chose wisely,” said Ashish Das.
