TMC begins campaigning for KMC polls in full swing

Kolkata: Within 24 hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) published its list of candidates for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections, the nominees swung into action and started campaigning.

Firhad Hakim, who has been acting as the Chairman Board of Administrators (BOA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation along with other members of the BOA who have been given a ticket by TMC to contest in the KMC elections, resigned on Saturday. Their resignations were sent to the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department.

The ruling Trinamool Congress nominated Kakoli Bag in ward 119 in Behala and Sachin Singh in ward 36 in Manicktala on Saturday. The party had not announced the names of candidates on Friday. Furthermore, Kaiser Jamil who was to contest the civic polls from ward 60 was replaced by Mohammad Yeajujan Rahaman.

Vasundhara Goswami is the Trinamool Congress candidate from ward 96. Her father, late Kshiti Goswami, was a veteran RSP leader and the state PWD minister of the erstwhile Left Front government. Her mother Sunanda Goswami was the chairperson of the West Bengal Women's Commission in 2011.

Goswami said TMC national general-secretary Abhishek Banerjee had called her and broke the news. A newcomer in politics, she was raised in a politically conscious family. Goswami, a trained psychological counsellor, has been involved in active social service for many years now. "My father was an active RSP leader. My mother was suspended 20 years ago and the party has not withdrawn the suspension yet. I will speak about the development that has been carried out in the area," she said.

Among the 14 members of BOA, 13 will be contesting the polls scheduled to be held on December 19 except Ratan Dey who has been denied a ticket. Dey was in charge of the Roads department of the KMC. Mousumi Das has been fielded in his place with the ward getting reserved for women (general).

Among those who resigned on Saturday are Atin Ghosh (Health), Debasish Kumar (Parks & Squares), Debabrata Majumder (Solid Waste Management), Tarak Singh (Drainage), Manzar Iqbal (Lighting), Shamsujjaman Ansari (Information & Public Relations), Indrani Saha Banerjee (Health Insurance Scheme), Amiruddin Bobby (Market), Avijit Mukherjee (Education), Swapan Samaddar (Bustee Development & Environment ) Ram Pyare Ram (West Bengal Urban Employment Scheme) and Baiswanor Chatterjee (Housing & Law).

Interestingly, four MLAs who have also been given a ticket to contest in civic elections are Firhad Hakim, Debasish Kumar, Debabrata Majumder and Ratna Chatterjee.

Kajari Banerjee, wife of Kartik Banerjee, the state president of Jai Hind Bahini, is contesting from ward 73.

She is a known face in the area and is connected with social service for many years. Banerjee conducted a house-to-house campaign on Balaram Bose Ghat Road.

Baiswanor Chatterjee, who is contesting from Kasba, held a meeting with the local Trinamool leaders and prepared a plan of action. He will give more stress to door-to-door campaigns.

"All round development has been carried out in Kasba and its neighbourhood. People are happy with the development and will support TMC," Chatterjee said.

In another development, CPI(M) outgoing coordinator of ward 75 in Kidderpore Belquis Begum joined Trinamool Congress on Saturday after being denied a ticket to contest the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections by the Left.