It’s West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s 67th birthday today (January 5). Many leaders and celebrities have wished the politician on the occasion.
“A very happy birthday @MamataOfficial didi. May God bless u wid all happiness, success, health and long life,” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh tweeted, “Wishing @MamataOfficial Didi, a very happy birthday- may god bless you with great health and long life. May you forever work for the betterment of the people.”
Banerjee was born on January 5, 1955 in Kolkata. She started her political journey in mid-70s at the age of 15. She quickly rose the ranks and became the general secretary of Mahila Congress and later All India Youth Congress.
In 1984, Banerjee was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 8th Lok Sabha becoming one of India’s youngest parliamentarians. She founded the Trinamool Congress in 1997 after a disagreement with the Congress party.
Mamata Banerjee worked with three Prime Ministers including PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh. She had been a Union minister in both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments and held portfolios like Human Resource Development, Youth Affairs and Sports, Women and Child Development, Coal and Mines and the Railways.
She did her graduation in Law and Master of Arts from Calcutta University.
Banerjee became the chief minister of West Bengal for the first time in 2011, ending the 34-year-long rule of the Left Front, one of the longest-serving governments in the world.
The TMC chief endorses her governance as the rule of three M’s – ‘Ma’, ‘Mati’ and ‘Manush’ (mother, soil and people). It later became the signature slogan of Banerjee and her party.
Nandigram, Singur and the slogan were used by the TMC as weapons against the Left Front and made the party victorious in the electoral battle.
The West Bengal chief minister is also a self-taught painter, poet and writer. She has authored more than 100 books.
In last year’s assembly elections, her party emerged victorious, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).