West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee’s bid for a fourth consecutive term is facing a serious challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is determined to end her uninterrupted run and form a government in a state that has so far not seen a right-wing party in power.Popularly known as “Didi”, Banerjee has consistently played the ‘women’s card’ by launching welfare schemes aimed at economic empowerment and by promoting greater representation of women in India’s male-dominated political landscape through candidate selection.Her backing of Menaka Guruswamy, India’s first openly queer Supreme Court advocate and mother of two, in the recent Rajya Sabha election is cited by party leaders as further evidence of her commitment to women’s rights.“There are many who talk of women holding half the sky. But Didi believes in it and has launched schemes and adopted policies to implement that in letter and spirit,” said Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.Of West Bengal’s 6.40 crore voters, more than half, 3.66 crore, are women. The electoral roll has shrunk by 15.9 per cent in recent months, with the voter base declining from 7.66 crore in the 2021 Assembly polls to around 6.44 crore following the deletion of 64 lakh names, nearly half of them women. Another 60 lakh names are under scrutiny.In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC won 215 of the 294 seats, with 33 women legislators. The BJP secured 77 seats, including six women MLAs.At the parliamentary level, 11 of the TMC’s 29 Lok Sabha MPs from the state are women. The BJP has 12 MPs from Bengal but none are women. For the upcoming polls, the TMC has fielded 52 women among its 291 candidates — about 18 per cent. In comparison, only 11 women feature in the BJP’s first list of 177 nominees.Since coming to power in 2011 by ending the 34-year rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, Banerjee has sought to cultivate what observers describe as a “women’s constituency” through targeted welfare measures.Schemes such as Rupashree and Kanyashree provide financial assistance to support girls’ education, discourage child marriage and address trafficking concerns. Programmes like Swasthya Sathi and Khadya Sathi offer health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh and subsidised foodgrain to a majority of the population. Initiatives including bicycles for schoolgirls and pensions for vulnerable groups have also been introduced.Former BJP MP from Hooghly Locket Chatterjee argued that voters are beginning to see through what she described as Banerjee’s “gimmicks”. “There is a huge anti-incumbency factor against her and she has not been able to launch any fresh scheme that can be attractive for women,” she said.Journalist and author Swati Bhattacharya partly agreed, noting that schemes which once generated enthusiasm may now appear less impactful, while corruption at lower administrative levels has increased public hardship.However, she added, “People still love Mamata and put the blame for corruption and other misdeeds on her party officials. Didi is above the blame-game, they still love her.”Banerjee’s organisational strength in rural Bengal remains significant. The TMC controls a majority of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads — a network widely seen as crucial in shaping electoral outcomes.As the state prepares to vote in two phases on April 23 and 29, the key question is whether Banerjee’s image as a relentless fighter who comes to the aid of ordinary people can withstand the BJP’s challenge.With stakes high on both sides of the political divide, attention is firmly on whether “Didi”, backed by the state’s women voters, can secure an unprecedented fourth victory.