Will the Left Front wrest back Kolkata Port constituency from the Opposition?
This speculation is gaining ground because the crucial seat in the port area is set to witness a three-cornered fight as a result of which a division in the anti-Left vote appears imminent. The Kolkata Port is a new constituency which has come into existence due to delimitation.
This constituency is a new avatar of the old Kabitirtha with some changes in the ward-wise composition. It was Kolkata Port which had emerged as the main bone of contention between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress when the two parties were engaged in hard bargaining. In fact, at one point of time, the alliance was on the verge of a collapse because Mamata Banerjee had refused to part with Kolkata Port seat.
Why was there such an intense tug of war between the two parties over this seat. The Congress was insisting on Kolkata Port because old war horse Ram Pyare Ram had won the Kabitirtha seat three times in a row defeating the Left Front candidate Moinuddin
Shams in 1996, 2001 and 2006. Trinamul Congress chief wanted the coveted seat because she wanted to field her close confidant Firhad ( Bobby ) Hakim. The Congress may be out of the fray but not Mr Ram. After Ms Banerjee denied Congress the Port seat, a peeved Mr Ram threw his hat in the ring as an independent candidate. All parties have their eyes on the large Muslim vote bank in this constituency.
A very popular leader Mr Ram claims that he is contesting on the appeal of his voters who have assured him of a victory even though he is no longer fighting with the Congress symbol.