NL Interview: Manisha Pande, Parikshit Sanyal, Meghnad S on covering Bengal election

The Trinamool Congress has won a third straight term in Bengal, handily defeating the BJP. How did Mamata Banerjee’s party script this victory? Why did predictions of the BJP at least running the Trinamool close not materialise?

Manisha Pande, Meghnad S and Parikshit Sanyal were in Bengal during the extended election, covering its various aspects for Newslaundry. In this conversation with Jayashree Arunachalam, they talk about what they found on the ground and how ordinary people saw the electoral exercise.

They discuss various facets of Bengal’s regional politics and how the competing parties, especially the Trinamool, sought to use it to their advantage. They also review how Bengal was presented in the legacy media during the election season, the communal polarisation, and the endless tales of political violence.

Watch.

Text by Ritika Chauhan