By Justice Katju
Before the results of the recent state assembly elections in 4 states and a union territory were declared on 4th May 2026 I had written an article saying that these elections are irrelevant
https://share.google/X6gb1UoMqJPQCb48m
https://www.hastakshepnews.com/2026/04/ongoing-assembly-elections-in-india-do.html
My reasoning was that the test of every political activity is one, and only one : does it raise the standard of living of the people ? Does it give them better lives ?
From that viewpoint, elections and democracy are really irrelevant in India, as they can only result in change of the political leadership, but not in any substantial improvement in the people’s lives
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-are-elections-really-relevant-in-india
https://indicanews.com/is-democracy-suited-to-india
I was happy that Mamata Banerji and her party have been defeated in West Bengal.
I am no supporter of the BJP, but neither do I have any sympathy for Mamata Banerji. She was just a demagogue who came to power by shouting and screaming, like Hitler, although she had nothing in her head, and no idea how to solve the massive socio-economic problems of West Bengal. Though professing to be against dynastic politics, she promoted her nephew Abhishek Banerji as the national general secretary of her party and an MP, thus annointing him as her successor.
She was highly arrogant, and would tolerate no criticism e.g. she got arrested Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra of Jadavpur University because he shared a cartoon of her in the social media, and she got a farmer Siladitya Choudhary arrested because he told her in a public meeting that she had done nothing for farmers. She had organised a gang of goons ( like Hitler’s SS ) to terrorise her opponents. She probably thought she was the permanent ruler of West Bengal, forgetting this Sanskrit shloka :
जानामि नागेश तव प्रभावम्
कण्ठस्थितः गर्जसि शंकरस्य
स्थानम् प्रधानम् न च बलम प्रधानम्
द्वारस्थितः कोअपि न सिंघः
” Jaanami Nagesh tava prabhaavam
Kanthasthitah garjasi Shankarasya
Sthaanam pradhaanam na cha balam pradhaanam
Dwarasthitah ko api na Singhah ? “
” O King of the Serpents, I know your powers
You are hissing at me because you are on the neck of Lord Shiva
The position one occupies is important, not one’s own strength
At one’s own door, who is not a lion “
Mamata shamelessly practised Muslim appeasement, perhaps more than any other politician in India.
In West Bengal about 27 or 28% of the population is Muslim ( many believe it is higher ). Hindus are between 70 to 71%.
Mamata Banerji’s policy was to appease the Muslims in West Bengal to get their votes. For example in 2011 she announced monthly grants of Rs 2500 to imams and Rs 1000 to muezzins in all masjids in West Bengal ( which was struck down as unconstitutional by the Calcutta High Court )
She would publicly offer namaz, covering her head like a pious Muslim woman
She restricted the durga idol immersion ceremony because of Muharram, which infuriated the Hindus, as that was perceived as interference with a very important and old religious custom.
By continuous & shameless appeasement of Muslims Mamata Bannerji ensured that a vast majority of Hindus in West Bengal would eventually unite behind the BJP, which they have now done.
Mamata Banerji’s departure will be good riddance of bad rubbish.
In Tamilnadu, the people were fed up of both important parties, the DMK and the ADMK, and hated them. In particular, the Karunanidhi family of Tamilnadu has been one of the most corrupt families in India, details of which are given below :
So it is good that the corrupt and worthless MK Stalin and the DMK have been kicked out of office
But what next ?
I submit that the new governments which will shortly come to power in West Bengal and Tamilnadu will do nothing to improve the miserable lives of the people, but will only indulge in gimmicks and witch hunting. The new West Bengal government will indulge in settling scores with their political oppnents, and indeed news is coming in of attacks and burning of TMC offices in many parts of the state. Soon criminal cases of corruption etc may be filed against Mamata Banerji and many of her colleagues in the TMC, and some of them may end up in jail. They no doubt deserve this, but how will it improve the lives of the ordinary people ?
As regards Tamilnadu, the next likely Chief Minister, the former filmstar Vijay, who has started his own political party, the TVK, does not seem to have anything in his head, and no clue how to solve the massive socio-economic problems of the state. He is a successful actor, and a politician has no doubt to do a lot of acting, which Vijay will undoubtedly do as the new CM, but he will do little else
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijay_(actor)
So very soon the ordinary people of West Bengal and Tamilnadu will get over their celebrations and merrymaking, and will realise that they are still like the slave girl Manthara, with only the kings changed
