Didi's political heir Abhishek eyes gold in Diamond Harbour

Bs_logoImage
Press Trust of India Diamond Harbour
Last Updated : May 09 2014 | 12:29 PM IST
Stakes are high for Trinamool cadres in this sleepy town in the suburbs of Kolkata with party supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek fighting his debut poll, billed as a prestige battle, for a seat won by rebel TMC leader Somen Mitra, who resigned and switched over to Congress earlier this year.
Sporting rimless glasses and gelled hair, 26-year-old Abhishek may seem the antithesis to his aunt's 'maa-mati- manush' image, but he is viewed as political heir to 'Didi'.
Besides Abhishek, BJP's Abhijit Das, Abul Hasnat of CPI(M) and Md Qamaruzzaman Qamar of Congress are seen as the main players among 16 contestants for this seat on the eastern banks of Hooghly river that has over 13 lakh electors.
Political analysts say Abhishek's nomination for the Lok Sabha polls was a matter of time, after he was introduced to politics by Mamata herself during the victory rally in 2011.
One of the few prominent faces of TMC, besides his 'pishi' (paternal aunt) Mamata, Abhishek is also the president of newly-formed Trinamool YUVA.
His quick rise to the upper echelons of TMC has attracted criticism from Mamata's detractors, who say she is promoting her elder brother Amit's son when she has been a staunch critic of dynasty politics.
Abhishek's debut, however, is by no means a cake-walk as the 'first nephew' has to fight 'outsider' tag in this popular weekend tourist spot that goes to polls on May 12.
The Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which has considerable minority population, had been a citadel of the Left from 1967 till 2009. In last Lok Sabha election, riding on the winds of change, Somen Mitra defeated four-time CPI(M) MP Samik Lahiri.
Observers say TMC has gone from strength to strength in the assembly segments in the South 24 Parganas district, which houses the Diamond Harbour seat.
In 2011 assembly polls, all the seven assembly seats under this Lok Sabha seat went to Trinamool. The party's winning spree remained intact in last year's Panchayat polls as well.
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 09 2014 | 12:29 PM IST