A throwback video of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has resurfaced online, where she describes herself as a “less important person” or “LIP.” The clip, now widely circulating on social media, shows Mamata Banerjee downplaying the significance of the chief minister’s post and reiterating her identity as a commoner. "Do you think CM is a very important post? You know I am not VIP. I am telling you one thing. You can guess all these things - the VIP and the LIP. LIP means less important person. And the commoner."
She goes on to add: "I want to continue myself as a commoner. Do you like it?"
She further explains her entry into public life, saying: "Politics is not my profession. It is my compulsion. That's why I am doing the politics. I have some basic difference. It depends on individual to individual."
The resurfaced video has gained traction amid the ongoing Assembly elections in the state.
The remarks echo her stance from May 2016, when Mamata Banerjee led the All India Trinamool Congress to a sweeping electoral victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Addressing reporters after the win, she had said: "This is for the first time in 49 years that such a massive mandate has been given to a single party. Please consider me just like a less important person. I am not a VIP , I am an LIP. Please consider me as an LIP, and I want to continue as a commoner."
West Bengal just concluded its first phase of polling on April 23, covering several constituencies across the state. The first round saw a high voter turnout of over 92 percent. The phase was not without controversy however. Reports of sporadic violence, clashes between party workers, and allegations of voter intimidation surfaced from multiple districts. Opposition parties accused the TMC of using muscle power, while the ruling party rejected the charges, blaming rival groups for attempting to disrupt the process.
With the first phase concluded, attention has now shifted to the second round of voting, where several high-profile seats are set to go to the polls. The upcoming phase is expected to be equally intense, with all major parties - including the Trinamool Congress, BJP, and Congress-Left alliance - stepping up their campaigns.
The political narrative remains sharply polarised, with issues such as governance, welfare schemes, corruption allegations, and law and order dominating the debate.
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Diana George is Associate Editor at Times Now, with over a decade of experience covering national and international news, crime, and local politics. S...View More
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