Mahua Moitra is leading a vigorous campaign, addressing Hindus and Muslims. The 49-year-old woman is a ball of energy; she speaks at the speed of a machine gun.
She must cover 82 villages between now and the legislative vote scheduled here for May 13. She is a thorn in the side of the ruling party, which is in the hands of her party, the TMC. The TMC is the main party in the state parliament, the state assembly. The election will be held on May 13, and the result will be announced on May 16. The winner will be chosen as a special envoy to the United Nations for the next five years. The U.N. will then decide on a new ambassador to the U.S. for a period of five years, starting in 2015. The decision will be made on whether or not to extend the current envoy’s term to a maximum of 10 years or to extend it to 15 years if it is extended to 20 years.