That was in the 1970s, that was foolish, foolish. It started when they were going to introduce computers in banks and [insurance companies]. Their employees protested and we supported it. But how can you stop modern technology? Nowadays, they have understood. We have entered a century where industries will be talent-based, said Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, former West Bengal Chief Minister of West Bengal, in 2004.
As the leads in India’s much awaited assembly elections 2021 pour in, it is clear that anti-incumbency has not been as big a factor as expected. According to leads and wins as per the Election Commission of India on Sunday evening, except in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the current rulers in all the states that went to the polls will remain in power. But, regardless of actual outcomes, what is most important is that the people have won again.
The most keenly contested state was, of course, West Bengal. Here, “Didi” Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress is leading in 212 out of 288, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming a distant second with leads in 78 constituencies. Of course, the BJP was nowhere in the picture in the last assembly elections in 2016, with only 3 seats, so it is a huge step up for them. The CPM and Congress have been utterly routed.
Four important states in India, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and one Union Territory, Puducherry, are in the throes of election fever just now. The results will be keenly watched all across the country.
In West Bengal, it is a battle royale between incumbent Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) and the challenger, the national ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by none other than the formidable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi himself. After two phases of voting already completed and the third due soon, the outcome is still a toss-up, very much up for grabs.