Why Nandigram loss is good for Mamata, Bengal

When Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat winning successive elections from 2002 to 2012, there was a buzzword that was credited with every win -- “Gujarati Asmita or Gujarati Pride”. That same word has now emerged in Bengal, only this time, it is being cited by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP’s) rivals as the secret formula for their success. Trinamool Congress (TMC) successfully used a combination of Asmita, messaging about successful delivery of welfare schemes and a strategic campaign against anti-incumbency to defeat a formidable campaign launched by the BJP, according to party members and election strategists involved in the campaign. But what about her loss in Nandigram? While BJP is calling it the CM’s moral defeat, Sunetra argues in this opinion piece that it may be the factor that keeps the powerful chief minister now grounded. At a time when her supporters are pitching her as PM candidate against Modi, the loss in Nandigram is a reminder of the power of democracy- How each vote counters and how even the most powerful can be caught a lesson by voters.