Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee vs Serdar Berdimuhamedow

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, succeeding Jyoti Basu. He led the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government and focused on industrialization and economic reforms.

Bhattacharjee's government attempted to acquire agricultural land for industrial projects in Singur and Nandigram, leading to violent protests. The controversies resulted in deaths, political backlash, and the eventual withdrawal of the Tata Nano project from Singur.

Bhattacharjee's CPI(M) suffered a historic defeat in the 2011 West Bengal assembly elections, ending 34 years of Left Front rule. The Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee won a landslide victory, marking a major political shift.

After the 2014 general elections, Bhattacharjee retired from active politics, citing health reasons. He remained a respected figure within the CPI(M) but did not hold any further public office.

Serdar was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for Innovation and Digitalization, a position that placed him in the line of succession. This was part of his father's effort to groom him for the presidency.

Serdar was appointed Minister of Industry and Construction, a key economic portfolio. This further consolidated his role in the government and provided him with administrative experience before his eventual presidency.

Serdar was elected as a member of the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty), the highest representative body. This move further integrated him into the state's power structure ahead of his presidential bid.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow won the presidential election with 73% of the vote, succeeding his father Gurbanguly. The election was widely criticized as neither free nor fair, with no genuine opposition candidates allowed, effectively establishing a dynastic succession.