Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar says Mamata Banerjee’s “mercurial” personality explains both her extraordinary rise and the rapid collapse of her hold on West Bengal politics, but he adds that the current crisis could be a chance for reinvention rather than an abrupt end to her career. Nearly 20 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, have reportedly formed a separate parliamentary bloc pledging support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, three Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned, and more than 60 of the party’s 80 MLAs have formed a faction — developments that unfolded within weeks of the BJP’s assembly election victory. Aiyar said he was “shocked that it happened so suddenly, but I’m not surprised” in comments to NDTV managing editor Shiv Aroor.
Aiyar nonetheless described Mamata Banerjee as a singular and remarkable political figure. “I don’t think there’s been anyone like her, nor will there ever be,” he said, adding that while some traits mirror those of other major leaders, the particular combination she embodies is “utterly unusual.” He credited her indomitable self-belief and persistence for toppling the Left, noting it “took her a good 12 to 13 years to actually come to power” and praising her relentless commitment and confidence.
On the defections, Aiyar suggested many Trinamool politicians lack an independent political base and are abandoning Banerjee in a desperate search for survival. “I mean, I know it’s politics. But I think none of them had a political base other than Mamata Banerjee. And in the desperate search for a political base, they’re willing to abandon and then abandon in droves,” he said.
Aiyar argued that Banerjee’s resilience could ultimately benefit the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. He said she “hasn’t lost herself” and remains “an outstanding, utterly unusual political personality.” “I do believe that her fiery spirit, her never-say-die attitude, is what the INDIA bloc needs,” he added, forecasting a bright political future for her if she takes a leadership role in the alliance — at the national level if not in the state.
Warning of risks for the Opposition if Banerjee is sidelined, Aiyar said he has “serious concerns about the future of the INDIA alliance” without her. He also addressed recent tensions within the bloc in Tamil Nadu, where Congress’s post-election support for actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TMC/TVK drew strong criticism from allies. On that episode he asked rhetorically, “What did we leave the DMK for? To get one, perhaps two ministerial houses? Don’t we know that we have to have a permanent place in Tamil Nadu?… (Supporting Vijay is a) huge mistake. Huge mistake and possibly irretrievable.”
Overall, Aiyar portrayed the upheaval inside the Trinamool as dramatic but not definitive, framing it as a moment that could either compel Mamata Banerjee to forge a new path or reshape opposition politics if she assumes a larger role in the INDIA bloc.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mamata-banerjees-mercurial-personality-led-to-her-rise-and-fall-ms-aiyar-11624869#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-06-12 00:52:00
