Firhad Hakim had a relaxing day before Monday's election.
The deep relationship between Kolkata and football is known to anyone who has been in the city during a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal or when there is a Brazil or Argentina match in the World Cup. The entire city with deeply mixed loyalties gets into a football frenzy soaking in the atmosphere.
So it is probably no surprise that a day before his formal election as Kolkata Mayor, TMC leader and Bengal minister Firhad Hakim chose to play or rather juggle with football as a stress buster. Firhad Hakim affectionately known as Bobby or Bobby-da in political circle was having a ball, literally enjoying the sunny December morning in the City of joy, Tomorrow, Bobby Hakim will formally become the Mahanagorik of Kolkata, as the election is a mere formality considering TMC enjoys a brute majority in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Bobby will be stepping into the shoes of Sovan Chatterjee who resigned following a tiff with TMC party supremo Mamata Banerjee.
With agency inputs
(All images courtesy Zee 24 Ghanta)
1. Hakim hopes to be a dependable striker
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Firhad Hakim is currently the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister in the Mamata Banerjee government and considered very close to the TMC supremo. To make him the Mayor, the state assembly had passed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill 2018 on November 22 to amend a rule enabling a non-councillor to become the Mayor.
This was challenged by CPI(M) in High Court but they failed to get a stay.
2. Can he be the Most Valuable Player?
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Hakim has been chosen as the mayor designate of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) by councillors of the ruling Trinamool Congress following Sovan Chatterjee's resignation from the post on a direction by party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
An opposition CPI(M) councillor had moved the high court, challenging Hakim's scheduled election on the ground that he was not an elected councillor from any of the wards of the KMC.
Refusing to pass any interim stay, Justice Debangshu Basak directed the state and the KMC to file affidavits in opposition to the petition of CPI(M) councillor Bilkis Begum.
The election will take place tomorrow.
In the last few years, TMC led board has earned considerable goodwill by sprucing up the city. But key infrastrucural issues remain which Hakim is well aware of. His job will be to quickly hit the ground running so that TMC can continue to rule KMC.
3. A people's leader
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One big plus point of Firhad Hakim is his brilliant people's skill. In this respect, he is the perfect replacement of Sovan Chatterjee, who also was known for his close ties with his electorates. Bobby is known to patronise many clubs and associations in his area of Chetla. Chetla Agrani, one of the biggest Durga Puja pandals of Kolkata also gets direct support from the Mayor designate.
Sunday's football rally was organised by Chetla Alipur Football organisation.
4. Easy first match
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In the 144-seat KMC, the TMC has 122 councillor, Left Front 14, BJP 5 and Congress 2, while one seat is vacant.Former Deputy Mayor, Meena Devi Purohit will be squaring off against Firhad Hakim. It is largely a symbolic fight as BJP just wanted to protest the way law was changed to pave way for Hakim's election.
5. Sterner test awaits
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With BJP slowly gaining clout in West Bengal including Kolkata, next election will be no cake walk. Yes, TMC is still the overwhelming favourite to keep control of KMC in 2020, but Firhad Hakim will be well aware that one false step can give enough ammunition to the opposition.
