She was just 15 years old when she became actively involved in politics with the Indian National Congress and established Chhatra Parishad Unions, the students wing of Congress Party when she was a student of Jogamaya Devi College.Lack of medical treatment resulted in Mamata losing her father when she was no older than 17.Mamata, without any channelled training or professional classes, has made herself a poet and a painter.She was released of her portfolios in 2003 after she protested in a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and announced that she would step down as the Sports Minister because of governments indifference towards her proposal to improve the sports in the nation.Mamata broke all her ties with the Congress party in 1997 and established her own party All India Trinamool Congress which soon became the lead opposition party to the ageing Communist government in the state.Upon becoming the first female Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011, she decided to return the 400 acres of land to the farmers of Singur. She said if Tata-babu (Ratan Tata) wants to set up a factory, he can proceed his plan on the remaining 600 acres, otherwise, we will see how to go about it.In February 2012, Bill Gates sent a letter to the West Bengal government hailing Mamata and her administration for achieving a whole year without any reported cases of Polio in the state. The letter read This was not only a milestone for India but for the whole world.One of her paintings named Flower Power was auctioned at a gala event in New York City in October 2012. With a base price of $2500, and after 5 bids, it was sold at $3000. The painting had a bed of green leaves in acrylic and oil on canvas having purple flowers on it.Despite Narendra Modis wave in the nation, Mamata managed to retain her post as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the second consecutive term after her party performed exceptionally well in 2016 assembly elections and won a total of 211 seats out of 293.She, through her political life, has maintained an unadorned public appearance. She dresses in a traditional white Saree and always wears Hawai Chappal..