Kolkata: Former Kolkat amayor Firhad Hakim on Saturday said he won’t contest the forthcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls, ending a run that lasted over two decades and saw him rise from a councillor to a two-term chief of the civic body.Hakim, who resigned as mayor four months ago saying he wanted “to leave with dignity”, said he still saw Mamata Banerjee as his neta but was pained and hurt by the fact that she chose “blood over devotion”. Hakim also indicated taking a possible political sanyas after his Kolkata Port MLA term ends in 2031.Speaking to a private news channel, he said: “One should not contest after a certain age because people will not get the service (which I could give when I was younger). So, I will not contest this poll. I want younger people to come and serve people in my locality and serve older people like me. If they work for people and get people’s acceptance, it will be near-impossible to defeat them politically.”The former mayor, however, did not clearly indicate whether his daughter Priyadarshini Hakim would be his political successor. In close quarters, Hakim has indicated that he would quit politics after his ongoing MLA term ends.Hakim’s ward 82 (Chetla) has been split into two wards in the delimitation exercise. One is reserved for women. It was largely believed that Priyadarshini, who is active in politics, may succeed him in this ward.But Hakim did not give a direct answer. “I wouldn’t want it (someone in the family stepping in politics). But I am also not one to say no if someone wants it. I do not favour parachuting someone in politics.”Asked on Mamata, he said, “I still consider her as my neta, yes, even to this day. But call it pain or hurt, she chose blood over devotion.” Hakim did not name Abhishek Banerjee.Hakim’s statements drew strong rejoinders from Trinamool. MLA and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “The point is Firhad Hakim quit as KMC mayor when there was no need to do it. His action helped govt take control. He could have stayed (as mayor) and serve people. Hakim has placed personal interests above everything else. He has sold his spine and self-respect to BJP. A person, who owes his political heft to Mamata Banerjee, disowned her when she lost polls. What he says now does not matter.”On Hakim’s “blood-versus-devotion” comment, Ghosh argued: “Let us, for a moment, accept what he says as fact. Then the question is why is he saying it now, when Mamata Banerjee is not the CM? Why couldn’t he say this when she was the CM? After all, he was not just Kolkata mayor but also a senior cabinet minister who held important portfolios. What Hakim did was unacceptable given the faith and trust Mamata had in him. Hakim’s political legacy will be that of an opportunist and political backstabber.”Hakim, now in the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, also advocated that Trinamool’s rebel faction should fight alone in the upcoming civic polls and youngsters and Gen Z should be given a chance.
