A Day At Mamata Banerjee's Rallies And 'Joy Bangla' Chants: Reporter's Diary

A sea of supporters waits patiently as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's chopper makes it way to a nearby helipad. On the ground, the election heat beats the mercury and 'Joy Bangla' chants rent the air, invoking Bengali pride to garner support for a chief minister who portrays herself as 'Banglar nijer meye' ('Bengal's own daughter').

The chants soon turn into slogans for Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, the second in command in the party.

As the sound of Banerjee's chopper draws closer, party caps are distributed among the supporters. Women with drums and bells announce the arrival of their leader. In the background, the 'Fighter Didi' track - a song asserting that Banerjee is fighting for everyone - plays out and women dance.

Notably, the 'Khela Hobe' (Game on) tune that dominated the previous election cycle is conspicuously absent this time.

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The moment Banerjee steps onto the stage, she takes complete command of the platform. She introduces all the candidates standing alongside her to the crowd. Then she begins her speech amid 'Joy Bangla' chants. She adds a few Hindi words occasionally in her predominantly Bengali speech, likely with the national media in mind.

Beyond the usual political discourse, a mention of fish drops midway. She reiterates a claim that the Trinamool has long sought to weaponise against the BJP; that if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, it would ban the sale of fish, a cultural staple for the Bengalis.

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There are references to Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Nazrul Islam. She recites their poetry. Then she would go on to chant the Chandipath, dedicated to Durga, invokes Kali, and also recites hymns in praise of Shiva.

In her speech, she also highlights schemes such as 'Lakshmi Bhandar' and asks the women in the audience to raise their hands if they have benefitted from the scheme.

A woman supporter tells NDTV that she saves the money that she gets as a beneficiary. "Didi is everything to us. I am saving the money I receive from Lakshmir Bhandar for my daughter. If my husband gives me even Rs 500, he asks how it was spent; Didi, however, asks nothing," she says.

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"Didi looks after us; she has increased the financial aid under 'Lakshmi Bhandar'. My son also receives an unemployment allowance. What more could one possibly ask for?" asks another.

Women constitute the core of Mamata Banerjee's strength -- a force that has been evident across several past elections and remains clearly visible today. While her popularity among women voters had dipped following the RG Kar rape and murder horror, the impact of her schemes is visible. Trying to win back the lost support, she has showered them with benefits from the government's coffers.

Then comes the allegations against the central government in her speech. But that's again staple in a political rally.

As her speech draws to a close, the women who had come with drums are invited onto the stage. She takes a bell from one of them and starts playing.

She ends the rally with the 'Joy Bangla' slogan.