Kolkata Port: From dockland gang turf to TMC citadel, a test of grip in 2026

Kolkata: In Kolkata Port, elections were once shaped as much by the shadowy world of docks, smuggling routes and gang rivalries as by party campaigns. Control of the port often meant control of the vote. As the Constituency heads into another Assembly poll, that gritty past sits uneasily beside a present marked by near one-party dominance.

That dominance has a name — Firhad (Bobby) Hakim. The Trinamool Congress heavyweight has, since 2011, transformed this once-unpredictable seat into a stronghold, winning three consecutive elections with more than 50 per cent of the vote each time.

The scale of that control was evident in 2021. Hakim polled over 1.05 lakh votes — about 69.2 per cent — securing a massive margin of more than 68,000 votes. The BJP emerged as the principal challenger with around 36,900 votes (24.2 per cent), while the Congress, backed by the Left under the Samyukta Morcha, was pushed to the margins.

For a constituency that rarely stayed loyal to one party, the shift is stark. Between 1952 and 2011, when it was the Garden Reach Assembly constituency, the seat oscillated between Congress and CPI(M). Even during the Left Front’s long rule, it remained volatile. Dockside muscle power and informal networks often dictated outcomes, with allegiances shifting from one election to the next.

“Nothing was fixed here earlier; equations changed every time,” said a veteran observer. “That uncertainty has disappeared after 2011,” he added. This election, however, presents a more direct Trinamool versus CPI(M) contest. The Left has fielded former councillor Faiyaz Khan, returning to the fray after sitting out 2021. Both the BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their candidates, adding a note of uncertainty even as the contest begins to take shape.

The constituency is a Muslim-majority seat, with the community accounting for over 51 per cent of the electorate, shaping its electoral dynamics across decades.

Hakim retains a formidable organisational edge — all eight KMC councillors in the constituency are from Trinamool.

Still, fault lines have emerged. The collapse of an under-construction building last year, killing more than 10 people, has triggered allegations of unchecked illegal constructions. Alongside, over 22 per cent voter deletions following revision exercises have added a layer of uncertainty.