Kolkata: Wednesday is judgement day for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and her party Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The by-election results will be declared Wednesday, and the Calcutta High Court is also likely to pass its judgement on Tata Motors Limited's (TML) challenge of the Singur Land Act by which West Bengal government vested the Singur land leased to the company.
Both the decisions are likely to have long-standing implications on the future of the present government.
Though winning the Bhawanipore by-elections is a formality, the low voter turnout has dampened the spirits of the TMC leadership. If Banerjee's Bhawanipore victory is by a smaller margin than that of the May elections, the rival camp will point to her falling popularity. On the other hand, if court verdict is negative, the government will not be able to keep its poll promise to return the forcefully acquired land to the farmers.
Mamata's meteorical rise to power since 2006 has been because of her fight against the Left Front government's forceful land acquisition both in Singur and Nandigram.
Pre-poll promise
Returning the land to the farmers was the principal pre-poll promise of the Trinamool Congress, and the decision to do so was taken at the first cabinet meet that Banerjee held as chief minister.
Analysts believe, that if the Singur judgement goes against the government, the party will find it very difficult to explain the outcome to the people, especially farmers and landless labourers, who have primarily supported the movement.
The by-election results will be declared Wednesday, and the Calcutta High Court is also likely to pass its judgement on Tata Motors Limited's (TML) challenge of the Singur Land Act by which West Bengal government vested the Singur land leased to the company.
Both the decisions are likely to have long-standing implications on the future of the present government.
Though winning the Bhawanipore by-elections is a formality, the low voter turnout has dampened the spirits of the TMC leadership. If Banerjee's Bhawanipore victory is by a smaller margin than that of the May elections, the rival camp will point to her falling popularity. On the other hand, if court verdict is negative, the government will not be able to keep its poll promise to return the forcefully acquired land to the farmers.
Mamata's meteorical rise to power since 2006 has been because of her fight against the Left Front government's forceful land acquisition both in Singur and Nandigram.
Pre-poll promise
Returning the land to the farmers was the principal pre-poll promise of the Trinamool Congress, and the decision to do so was taken at the first cabinet meet that Banerjee held as chief minister.
Analysts believe, that if the Singur judgement goes against the government, the party will find it very difficult to explain the outcome to the people, especially farmers and landless labourers, who have primarily supported the movement.
