Opinion: How TMC dug its own grave in West Bengal - Inch by inch, year by year

At the core of the public’s wrath against the TMC was the brazen culture of Tolabazi (extortion) and hafta vasooli across West Bengal. Corruption wasn’t hidden; it was a parallel economy. 

Bengal Election Results: The political landscape of West Bengal has fundamentally shifted. While Mamata Banerjee’s imaginative subsidies and doles like Lakshmir Bhandar successfully sustained millions for over a decade, handouts could not outlast systemic corruption and lawlessness. The TMC, which ruled the state with an absolute majority for 15 years, has now been reduced to 80 seats. Underneath the welfare facade, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was systematically digging its own grave, inch by inch, through institutionalised extortion and arrogance.

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Institutionalized Extortion: From Tolls to 'Danda Tax'

At the core of the public’s wrath was the brazen culture of Tolabazi (extortion) and hafta vasooli, as alleged by locals. Corruption wasn’t hidden; it was a parallel economy. On the Siliguri highway, the Fulbari toll booth was notoriously operated not by the NHAI, but by TMC henchmen collecting illegal levies as claimed by the vehicle owners using the stretch. This pattern extended across state lines through the infamous "danda tax," where the TMC workers extorted every truck entering Bengal from other states, issuing official-looking slips under the guise of "other charges."

In urban pockets, public transport was bled dry, with TMC-backed unions forcing a daily "cut-money" tax of Rs 100–Rs 200 on every single bus. Meanwhile, real estate became a hostage negotiation. Neighbourhood goons demanded hefty ‘fees’ if a resident merely repaired a roof, while a slick, multi-tier ‘payment per square foot’ system forced real estate promoters to line the pockets of multiple tiers of TMC leaders.

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The Opulence of the Local Neta vs. Youth Despair

This relentless extortion created a glaring, infuriating wealth gap. The tired, unemployed, or underpaid young man delivering food for Swiggy or earning pennies riding a Rapido bike noticed exactly where the money went. He watched his local TMC leader—who once lived in a tiny, leaky shack—effortlessly move into a lavish three-storey mansion, while they struggled for daily needs.

As leaders encroached upon public spaces like parks, local police and municipal authorities fawned upon them. Together, they packed and blocked every square foot of public thoroughfares with illegal hawkers for steady kickbacks, completely destroying civic life.

Cultural Backlash, Violence, and the Reclaiming of Bengal

The overreach wasn’t just financial; it became deeply social and political. In several Muslim-majority pockets, majoritarian appeasement led to temples being forced shut—a flashpoint highlighted when the iconic Durga Temple in Asansol finally reopened following the BJP's recent Bengal victory. Furthermore, years of suppressed anger over horrific post-poll violence and rampant rape incidents broke the fear barrier among the electorate.

The immediate aftermath of the election results captures a symbolic collapse. TMC had previously encroached upon and seized opposition strongholds; today, resilient Left and Congress workers are actively reclaiming their party offices from fleeing TMC cadres. The ‘cut-money’ culture has been decisively rejected. By choosing greed over governance, the TMC didn't just lose an election—it meticulously engineered its own downfall.

From Socialism to Henchmanship

The TMC goons' fear was such that people feared in expressing their faith, carrying out renovations for their own homes, struggling to get their lands encroached upon by the TMC goons and forced to pay cut money to the TMC workers. The public apathy was brewing the sentiment against the Mamata Government, which she failed to see. The fall was imminent, the public was waiting only for a fair chance, which they got with 2.5 lakh central forces guarding the state during the polls. The result is out for everyone to see.

(Disclaimer: The views, analysis, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or editorial stance of Zee News)