Mamata Banerjee, who was born on January 5, 1955, is currently serving as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is the first woman who has held the position. She is also the chairperson of Trinamool Congress which separated from Indian National Congress in 1998.

Mamata Banerjee is also often referred to as 'Didi', and was the first woman who held the office of Minister of Railways, twice.

She is also the first female Minister of Coal, and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Youth Affairs, Sports, Women and Child Development in the cabinet of the Indian government.

Banerjee was born in Kolkata to a Bengali Brahmin family. She completed her higher secondary board examination from Deshbandhu Sishu Sikshalay in 1970. She also holds a degree in history from Jogamaya Devi College.

She further did her Master's in Islamic history from University of Calcutta. She also earned a law degree from the Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College, Kolkata.

Banerjee got involved in politics when she was 15. She is mostly seen in the traditional Bengali attire and avoids luxuries. 

As a Railway Minister, Mamata fulfilled many promises to West Bengal. She introduced a new bi-weekly New Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani Express train and four express trains connecting various parts of West Bengal. She also focused on developing tourism.

Banerjee was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal of May 20, 2011. One of the first decisions she made as a Chief Minister was to return 400 acres of land to Singur farmers. She also resolved the Gorkhaland issue by setting up Gorkhaland territorial administration. 

Not many know this but Mamata is also a self-taught painter and a poet. Her 300 paintings were sold for Rs 9 crore. One painting was also bought by Sudipto Sen for Rs 1.8 crore.

As a CM, she also made efforts to raise awareness of the state's history and culture among the people. She named several stations of Kolkata metro after freedom fighters, religious leaders, poets, singers etc. 

Banerjee has represented the nation at the World Women Round Table Conference which was held in Russia. She also attended the World Youth Conference in Vietnam as an Indian representative. 

She has written a number of books in Bengali like Upalabdhi, Maa-Mati-Manush, Manavik, Anubhuti and more. In English, she has written, Slaughter of Democracy, Dark Horizon, Smile and Struggle for Existence.

Mamata Banerjee has faced a long struggle phase and has faced opposition from her rivals. Despite this, she has not deterred from her conviction of standing beside the people.

On the day of the inception of Trinamool Congress, she sketched the logo of the party. It shows two saplings on the grass. Her deep thought behind the logo was the message of secularism (Two buds on the tree, Hindu and Muslim. If one of them is the eye, then the other is life).

As Narendra Modi announced India's successful launch of an anti-satellite missile, Mamata Banerjee criticised the announcement and said that the credit was for Indian space scientists and not for Modi to take.

Mamata Banerjee said, "It's a political announcement, scientists should have announced it, it's their credit. Only one satellite was destroyed, that wasn't necessary, it was lying there since long, it's the prerogative of scientists when to do it. We will complain to the EC."