Bengal’s Women Leaders Use Aggression to Gain Alpha Female Status

Locket Chatterjee, Mamata Bannerjee, Rupa Ganguly involved in separate incidents of aggression during elections.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a protest rally in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

West Bengal has one of the largest rates of crimes against women, but the ongoing assembly elections show a diametrically opposite image with some of the heavyweight female politicians being at their combative best, or worst.

Repeatedly threatening opponents and polling officers, assaulting rivals are just the beginning of the long list of illegal activities that the brigade of women leaders and candidates are indulging in during this Election season.

Mamata Bannerjee Leads the Way

The first woman chief minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee, has virtually led the way in aggression. She vowed to teach a lesson to the opposition “inch by inch” for its constant attacks on her on issues related to corruption and went all guns blazing at the Election Commission (EC).

Towards the end of the campaign, Banerjee threatened a section of “coward” police officers that they will have to suffer “for creating pandemonium” and declaring prohibitory orders on polling day.

Sonali Guha’s Aggressive Address to Supporters

Deputy speaker of West Bengal assembly Sonali Guha went a step further to prove her “Alpha Female Status”.

In the full glare of television cameras, she was seen shouting orders to her supporters over the phone during the fifth phase polling to “thrash and drive out the CPI-M agent”.

Reacting quickly, the EC got a first information report (FIR) filed against Guha.

Rupa Ganguly Assaults TMC Worker

Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya (left) with Rupa Ganguly, who was leading the march. (Photo: PTI)

Rupa Ganguly, a BJP candidate, fell foul of the authorities when she “assaulted” a Trinamool Congress supporter during the fourth phase of polling on 25 April. Ganguly, a candidate from Howrah North, reportedly lost her cool after hearing a barrage of invectives from Trinamool activists.

The EC responded by lodging an FIR against Ganguly, who surrendered before a court and was granted bail.

Also Read: Rupa Ganguly Named in Police Complaint After Pushing TMC Worker

Locket Chatterjee Threatens Election Officer

Locket Chatterjee. ( Courtesy: Twitter/@me_locket )

Another actor-turned-politician, Locket Chatterjee, from Mayureswar in Bribhum district, was seen threatening and scolding a presiding officer. Chatterjee ordered him to admit that the booth had been rigged, dared him to repeat his denial which she threatened to capture on her phone and send to the Election Commission.

An FIR was later filed against her. “for discourteous behaviour” and “disrupting polling.”

West Bengal’s Women Leaders Setting a Bad Example

Shaswati Ghosh, a woman activist, disapproved of the behaviour of the women leaders.

Any kind of aggression by either male or female candidates is not expected. If aggression is their way of making their presence felt then it is really disappointing.

Shaswati Ghosh, Activist

As female leaders, these women are expected to be role models but their behaviour is far from it.