India’s Fiercest Woman Politician Targeted by Modi in Election
- Aggressive campaign to edge out incumbent Mamata Banerjee
- A win for Modi will signify an expansion in his party’s reach
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For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the election starting Saturday in West Bengal isn’t just another test of strength in one of India’s biggest states: Victory would also knock out one of his biggest national political opponents.
Mamata Banerjee, a firebrand who has run India’s fourth-most populous state for a decade, has been one of the most vocal regional leaders pushing back against Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda, which included a citizenship law that discriminated against Muslims. She has also supported farmer protests outside of Delhi against new agriculture laws that have drawn international attention after Modi’s government used internet blackouts to try and stop them.