DECODING DIDI

Very few politicians in India today generate as much interest as does the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee-popularly known as Didi. Diminutive yet defiant; unassuming yet arrogant; always volatile, though now increasingly erratic, Didi remains a puzzle. In 2011, Didi defied all odds to achieve what was once considered near impossible-she brought the thirty-four-year-old Left regime in West Bengal to an end with a promise of a better tomorrow for the state. The success of Mamata Banerjee has been a subject of study at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including Harvard and Cambridge. But the same Mamata Banerjee has also been scathingly criticized and ridiculed; not just by rivals in politics but also by former supporters, civil society, and even the common man for failing to deliver on the dream she once promised her constituents. Decoding Didi presents the phenomenon that is Mamata Banerjee. A chronicle of an extraordinary life, it documents the heady days of the elections which toppled the Left regime-raising hopes for a political renaissance in West Bengal-and the crushing disappointment at Mamata Banerjee's failure to bring about any meaningful change. A clear-sighted account, Decoding Didi is an essential guide to understanding one of the most significant forces in contemporary Indian politics.