There is an unmistakable sense that hubris may be upon her. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, once the stormy petrel of Bengal politics, has now declared herself “the sole custodian” of the Trinamool Congress, the political party she founded.

For those who have seen her remarkable ascent to the top of the pile in state politics having dislodged the long-ruling Left Front in 2011 after two decades of persistent activism, it is confirmation if any were needed that the determined onslaught of the Bharatiya Janata Party on her political citadel has shaken her. It may be too early to say what the outcome of the 2021 state assembly election is, but it would be fair to say it is no longer a foregone conclusion.

The immediate trigger for the chief minister’s statement made in Bankura a couple of days ago was to pre-empt the fallout of state transport minister and TMC strongman Subhendu Adhikari’s resignation. In the event, the resignation happened on Friday and may well lead him to the BJP. If he follows in Mukul Roy’s footsteps, Adhikari would be the second major party leader ~ with a mass base of his own and organisational clout in key south Bengal districts ~ to switch sides. His departure would deal a significant blow to the Trinamool’s electoral prospects in several key districts including Midnapore East and West, Bankura and Purulia.

Miss Banerjee’s default position in the face of growing disenchantment in the TMC is that she is the ‘supremo’ and that going over the heads of influential leaders to directly address the party rank-andfile to shore up support is the way forward. But such has been her style of functioning all along despite a short-lived attempt to showcase collective leadership when she first came to power.

It is no secret, for example, that there is growing resentment among party leaders over the role of political consultant Prashant Kishor, who is reported to be micro-managing organisational changes and taking the final call, with Miss Banerjee’s blessings, on deciding pollrelated responsibilities. Her response has been to dismiss veteran leaders’ angst as a “misunderstanding” and reinforce her personality-driven leadership style: “I will be the “lone (election) observer in every block. For a considerable time, I kept myself busy in administrative work, but I am back and will be keeping a watch on leaders, especially those who are secretly in touch with the BJP. And I will treat them ‘properly’.” This is a surprising response to the most serious challenge to her political authority in over a decade.

While her continued promotion of her nephew as a ‘youth leader’ ~ par for the Indian political course ~ may be ignored by those who owe their positions and perks to her in line, those with ambition and a popular base of their own may not be as accommodating. And finally, there is the Asaduddin Owaisi factor to contend with, as the AIMIM threatens to cut into the Muslim vote that Miss Banerjee has so carefully nurtured.