Romita Datta

Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy is absent from the scene in Bengal. The murmur in the air is that he’s maintaining social distance with the party.

With a mightier BJP challenging to overthrow TMC, Mamata indeed needs a significant political rally to pump up her muscles and give the required push for taking on the opponents head-on.

The biggest advantage of Bengal BJP President's sprawling 12-BHK apartment is that it is closer to the airport. With the election not very far off, the BJP leaders will come trooping in regularly.

What keeps him ticking is his old courtroom habits of donning a lawyer’s gown in his imagination and engaging in banter by giving quick, smart repartees.

For the time being, politicians are choosing to wear their party colours and symbols on their masks as a way to help people recognise their leaders.

Be it BJP's Dilip Ghosh’s photo-op posturing in removing trees in a relatively unaffected area, or CPI (M)'s Kanti Ganguly standing like a rock beside the storm-ravaged people, netas are not losing the opportunity.

Vivek Kumar’s head rolled, as he held his head too high. This drew the attention of certain people who felt challenged.

Trinamool’s Mamata Banerjee and BJP’s Dilip Ghosh are reaching out to people. But who exactly are the people listening to?

As powers came and went, the myth became a conviction that the ruling party in Bengal controls polls.

Upcoming Lok Sabha Polls is an opportunity for Mamata to project herself as a credible face among the regional aspirants who are nursing ambitions beyond their regional contours.