File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's middle name could well be "controversy".
The fiery young Congress leader had captured the limelight by her unwavering opposition - and critics add, "antics" - against the Left Front government. But even after sweeping the 35-year-old Left bastion in Bengal at the head of her own Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee had hit the headlines more for controversies than for developmental work sorely needed in the state.
Ms Banerjee has been known to ascribe political motives to a spate of rape cases, watch men being arrested for circulating cartoons that make fun of her and enforcing reading list in the state's public libraries. Lately, fingers have been pointed at her government for alleged involvement in the Saradha Ponzi scam, brickbatting Ratan Tata over Singur and soft-footing on rape threats by party MP Tapas Pal.
Her latest move - a visit to Singapore to seek investments - has drawn flak from the opposition. Her entourage includes popular actor Dev - a person far from giving any advice on the economic front, the Opposition has pointed out.
What has left others aghast is the inclusion of three directors of AMRI hospital in the group. All three have been accused of culpable homicide following the devastating fire in Kolkata's Amri Hospital in December 2011, in which 93 people died.
At a national level, Mamata Banerjee had been seen as the chief architect of reform policy rollbacks, using her political clout to arm-twist then UPA government she partnered. When the muscle-flexing finally did not work, she pulled out of the UPA government.
But Ms Banerjee is dismissive of the criticism; she has scored her governance a perfect 100 and insists that the media appears to paint a negative picture of her government's performance.
Her aggressive ways had critics shouting "Didigiri". But for all that, Banerjee has her political acumen intact. During this year's general elections, she toed a fine line - refusing to join the BJP to keep intact her Muslim vote.
A history graduate from Jogamaya Devi College, Ms Banerjee got a Master's in Islamic History from the University of Calcutta followed by a degree in education from Shri Shikshayatan College. She earned her stripes as a lawyer with a degree from Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College. Ms Banerjee draws and likes to write poetry. She is the published author of 'Poribortan' (Change), 'Kobita' (Poems) and 'My Unforgettable Memories'.
Personally, she lives a simple life, with few obvious vanities - she has forever been seen clad in an inexpensive cotton sari and rubber slippers. But hell hath no fury as Didi if anything or anyone presumes to scorn her.
From the unknown worker pasting anti-CPM posters to General Secretary of the Congress' youth wing, Ms Banerjee had a meteoric rise in the Congress. She first contested elections in 1984.
In 1997, she parted ways with the Congress to float her Trinamool Congress. Here, Didi was all-powerful. It still took an arduous 14 years to get where she wanted - the CM's office in Kolkata's Writers' Building. On the way there, she partnered both BJP and Congress led governments at the Centre, treating both to her famed temper tantrums, threats to walk out and even breaking political partnerships with much elan.