MAMATA BANERJEE, the Chief Minister of West Bengal has turned out to be a literary sensation – she is the bestselling author of the 36th Kolkata Book Fair. It seems her books sold to the tune of ten lakhs of rupees and she has earned a royalty of more than one lakh rupees on those sales.

This year, three of her books have been released in the Fair and her publishers are elated and overwhelmed at the way her books are being lapped up by her fans. The books are ‘Poriborton’ (Change), ‘My Unforgettable Memories’ and a collection of poems. She has a couple of books for children apart from books on political essays.

It might be recalled that Mamata Banerjee had arranged sale of her paintings and her efforts had raised nearly one crore of rupees for her assembly election campaign. There had been comments that such sales were a means of getting election funds through indirect means from sympathetic corporate house – but, that is beyond the point.

Moreover, during her sit-in on the Durgapur Highway at the Singur TATA Motors plant, she had been shown painting on the dais. That way she kept her fingers busy while her mind was busy dreaming up strategies to oust the CPM-led left front government from West Bengal. To her painting was a sort of inspiration generating medium.