Happy 69th Birthday to Mamata Banerjee: All about her political journey

Mamata Banerjee was born on January 5, 1955, in Calcutta (presently Kolkata), West Bengal, and she is a remarkable politician, legislator, and currently the chief minister of West Bengal. She accomplished a noteworthy achievement as the first female chief minister of West Bengal serving since 2011. Mamata was brought up in a lower middle class neighbourhood in south Calcutta and was faced with challenges after her father's death.

Undaunted by these setbacks, she went on to complete her education, earning many degrees, including a bachelor's degree in law and a master's in arts from the Calcutta University. Her political journey started during her school days when she joined the Congress (I) Party in West Bengal. Throughout the long term, she stood firm on different positions within the party and other local political associations.

Banerjee entered national politics by winning a seat in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the Indian parliament in 1984, while representing the district where she was born, in south Kolkata. However she faced defeat in the 1989 elections, she recovered her seat in 1991 and kept on being re elected in next elections until 2009.

During her parliamentary tenure, she filled in administrative roles within the party and the national government, holding three cabinet level ministerial positions. Banerjee flouted her own party in the late 90s after being disillusioned with corruption in Congress, naming the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in 1997.

AITC gained immense foothold in West Bengal in a short span of time, helping give immense popularity to Mamata Banerjee. Later on, Banerjee's concentration shifted to the 2011 state parliamentary elections, where she aimed to end the long communist rule in West Bengal. Her popularity flooded as she championed, for example, human rights, opposition to land acquisition, and the protection of women and children.

The AITC arose successfully in the 2011 elections, getting more than three fifths of the seats in the state legislature. Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the chief minister on May 20, denoting the end of communist dominance in the state. Beyond politics, Mamata Banerjee was a notable writer, adding to both English and Bengali literature.

She wrote more than two dozen books, including verifiable works like "Struggle for Existence" (1998) and "The Slaughter of Democracy" (2006), alongside a volume of poetry. Mamata Banerjee's political journey is set apart by her flexibility, grassroots connection, and the noteworthy accomplishment of turning into the first female chief minister of West Bengal, achieving critical political change in the state.

In spite of her rise at the national level, Mamata Banerjee kept up strong ties to her home state, earning the adorable moniker "Didi" (Elder Sister) from her supporters. Known for her simplicity and blunt nature, she gathered help by remaining connected with her modest roots and energetically offering her viewpoints, especially against the well established communist rule in West Bengal..