Manish Gupta, who was West Bengal home secretary in January 1993 when the police had dragged out Ms Mamata Banerjee, then a Youth Congress leader, from the Writers’ Buildings, has become the giant killer in the 2011 Assembly polls by defeating chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Jadavpur by 16,684 votes, that too as Ms Banerjee’s nominee.

The former top cop, 66-year-old H.D. Safwi, an avid reader, who also loves his golf, was handpicked by Mamata Banerjee for the Assembly elections to contest from Uluberia East constituency in Howrah.

The drubbing and debacles of the Marxist party in the polls seem to have completed a full circle with all the bigwigs in the previous Cabinet, including chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Nirupam Sen, Gautam Deb, Ashok Bhattacharjee ending up as big losers in the polls. The million dollar question which has now cropped up

When Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee became sanguine of dislodging the Left Front from power and taking over the reins of West Bengal, one concern still kept gnawing her: the sagging economy of the state. To salvage the sagging financial position of the state, she zeroed in on Amit Mitra. She thought that if any one could

The ouster from the red bastion, West Bengal, and defeat in Kerala has reduced the Left, particularly the CPI(M), to a near- irrelevance in the national politics. The Marxists now, hold power only in Tripura.

As the main Opposition leader in West Bengal Mamata Banerjee had spearheaded land movement in the state which had forced the Tata Motors to relocate its Nano factory at Sanand in Gujarat from Singur in West Bengal. Ms Banerjee’s consistent movement had also forced the state government to scrap its proposed chemical hub

So, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has done the impossible: Removed the CPI(M)-led Left Front from power in West Bengal. The ruling CPI(M) which was considered invincible has been routed. One woman has demolished the Red Fort.

The map of West Bengal has turned green with intermittent patches of red as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress swept to power bulldozing the CPIM-led Left Front with a success rate of over 81 per cent.

Ms Mamata Banerjee’s “dream team” at Writers’ Buildings, the state secretariat, is likely to include former Ficci secretary-general Amit Mitra, who has been her close adviser on economic policy and handling the party’s relationship with Indian industry. He could get either the finance or industry portfolios.

It’s advantage Congress. The Assembly election results have come as a breather for the party, now riddled with scams and charges of corruption. Its electoral triumph in Assam and Kerala will give it a major political boost. The party has also heaved a sigh of relief with the DMK, its powerful southern ally, biting the dust in Tamil Nadu.