On May 19, I found myself awake at 4 am. I had slept barely three hours, but the nervous excitement and anticipation would not let me rest. So many memories and images floated through my mind. In particular, I thought of a car journey in 2006. It was in the midst of the assembly election campaign and Mamata Banerjee had honoured me, a political rookie who had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2003, by asking me to accompany her.
It was clear even during that campaign that while there was anger against the then CPI(M)-led government and disgruntlement with the Communists, Trinamool did not have the organisation to tap into it. We were headed for defeat, but Mamata Banerjee was unfazed. On that car journey she told me, "Whatever happens, victory or defeat, I will not change my ideology. And what I know to be right."
I thought about those words. Even in a tough moment - in 2006, Trinamool fell to 29 seats in a House of 294, not enough to be recognised as the opposition party - the lady was not willing to compromise on basic principles. She was a fighter and had enormous self-belief. My management books had told me these were the ingredients of an achiever and a true leader. In 2009, 2011 and 2014 these assumptions were to be proved right, as we won a series of elections.
Yet, 2016 was different. Trinamool was no longer the outsider asking for a chance. It was the incumbent defending a track record. The opposition - particularly the Congress and the CPI(M) - had formally united. In hindsight, the joint rally of the Congress Vice-President and the former CPI(M) Chief Minister upped the stakes and worked to their further disadvantage, but let's leave that for another day.
It was with this welter of thoughts that I made it to the ante-room of Mamata Banerjee's residence-cum-office in Kalighat, Kolkata. It was 7 am. There were six televisions in the room, two showing national channels and four Bengali news channels. Mamata Banerjee was inside in her private room, watching television as well, and perhaps just contemplating the day.
At 8:30 am I saw a number that made me sit up: Trinamool leading in 14 seats of 21. About 15 minutes later, it was 25 out of 38. A thought came out of the air: "What is the exact number for a two-thirds majority?" As I made mental calculations, I began to relax. The trend was clear, but the pundits were to spell it out only at 10 am.
Trinamool's target for this election had never been crossing the halfway mark - 148 seats in an assembly of 294 - but crossing 184, the seats we had won in 2011 in partnership with the Congress. For our self-validation, we needed to win 185. Anything above that was a blessing. And Bengal's people blessed us abundantly.
At 11:10 am, Mamata Banerjee came out of her room and stood in the passageway for 10 minutes, flashing the victory sign. Then she walked 30 metres to her office. We trooped in. The office was unchanged from 2004, her face too was unchanged and calm. When you have made history, you don't need to announce it. You just know it. Mamata Banerjee has achieved political immortality. Never before in Bengal has a single party been re-elected with two-thirds of the assembly.
This was her victory. She had campaigned across the state tirelessly. The only others who had travelled even a fraction as much as her were our two go-getting MPs, Abhishek Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari.
Gradually visitors, party workers and media-persons started coming in. At about 11:40 am, the Chief Minister told us she was ready to address the media. For 20 minutes, she spoke in Bengali, making what I thought was a gracious and still politically strong statement. Then she answered questions, beginning with reporters from Hindi and English news outlets.
The rest of the day was a daze. There were visitors, some important such as our legislators and senior officials, but mainly just countless ordinary people and voters, keen to share the moment with their beloved "Didi". Mamata Banerjee's door was open to all. She met literally thousands one-to-one. She also gave 11 media interviews. And answered phone calls beginning with the Prime Minister to a series of senior political figures from across the country. There were also calls and messages, I must add as an aside, from Saurav Ganguly, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Personally and professionally, they are all stakeholders in Bengal!
A true leader takes along everyone, forgets none. Mamata Banerjee found time during the day to make phone calls to almost all of our candidates who lost. She thanked them for their efforts and assured them they were key to the party's future. It was a moving gesture, and a window to understanding why she inspires such loyalty.
Many have asked me if we were expecting such a large mandate. Internal party surveys and reports from the grassroots indicated all along that we were hovering around 200 seats. If you know how elections work, and what narrow vote swings can do, you will also realise that 200 seats can easily become 220 or slip to 180.
But we were certain that the Congress-CPI(M) combine would seriously struggle to reach three figures, and the BJP would pick up maybe a couple of seats. This was not advertised or leaked to the media. At election time, Trinamool prefers to stay quiet and underplay. Even in 2014, when Trinamool won 34 seats out of 42 in the Lok Sabha election, we stayed under the radar, letting the media report a BJP seat surge in Bengal that never happened.
So it was this time too, and so it will be in 2019. But that's another election, to worry about another day. Right now, I need to be a part of the team to assist with the plans for the oath-taking ceremony. It's going to take place on Red Road, which history buffs will remember served as an air force runway during World War II. Not for the first time, democracy will trump conflict!
(Derek O'Brien is leader, Parliamentary party Trinamool Congress (RS), and Chief National spokesperson of the party.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.