ABSTRACT
The reverse was true for the non-left opposition of which the lion’s share was of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In 2011 the TMC secured 184 seats as against a mere 40 secured by the CPI-M, and a total of 62 by the entire Left Front. Despite all the odds, the TMC not only came back to power, but had dramatically improved its performance over the preceding elections securing alone nearly 45 per cent of the votes and 211 seats out of 294 total seats of the Legislative Assembly. This was phenomenal performance by any standard and it reflected the large degree of confidence in and expectations from the TMC/Mamata Banerjee among the general populace of West Bengal. The TMC government has been particularly sensitive to the need for inclusion of the minority Muslims. If the TMC shows any sign of decline, the BJP is going to have traction.
