Kolkata:
In West Bengal, the panchayat elections begin on Thursday with three districts - Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore - going to the polls in the first phase. Most seats will witness a triangular fight between the Left, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress. But in Bankura's Borjora village, voters for the gram panchayat will have to deal with a curious twist. The name of the CPM candidate there is Mamata. Mamata Banerjee. Comrade Mamata Banerjee.
The 47-year-old housewife laughs off the fact that her name is the same as the West Bengal Chief Minister.
"She is the Chief Minister and I am an ordinary person, a housewife. Our names may be the same but my maiden surname was Mukherjee. I became a Banerjee only after I got married," she says. "Just because our names are similar, it doesn't matter."
Mamata is a school teacher and mother of a young son. This is her first foray into politics. Her husband has been a party member for a long time and the CPM claims that that their candidate's name being same as the Chief Minister's is a mere coincidence.
"We don't seek to gain any advantage by using Mamata Banerjee's name. Mamata Banerjee's ideology is hers. Our party's ideology is different," says Raju Bauri, a local CPM leader.
Voters are amused. Particularly by the fact that Comrade Mamata is, like most of them, pious and a regular at the local temple, despite her party leaning. Ask if they will they vote for the Chief Minister's namesake and the most frequent answer is: 'God knows!'
The 47-year-old housewife laughs off the fact that her name is the same as the West Bengal Chief Minister.
"She is the Chief Minister and I am an ordinary person, a housewife. Our names may be the same but my maiden surname was Mukherjee. I became a Banerjee only after I got married," she says. "Just because our names are similar, it doesn't matter."
Mamata is a school teacher and mother of a young son. This is her first foray into politics. Her husband has been a party member for a long time and the CPM claims that that their candidate's name being same as the Chief Minister's is a mere coincidence.
"We don't seek to gain any advantage by using Mamata Banerjee's name. Mamata Banerjee's ideology is hers. Our party's ideology is different," says Raju Bauri, a local CPM leader.
Voters are amused. Particularly by the fact that Comrade Mamata is, like most of them, pious and a regular at the local temple, despite her party leaning. Ask if they will they vote for the Chief Minister's namesake and the most frequent answer is: 'God knows!'
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