Kolkata, March 21 (NationPress) Since 2011, when the previously minority-majority Garden Reach assembly constituency in the southern outskirts of Kolkata was rebranded as Kolkata Port, electoral outcomes have consistently favored the Trinamool Congress.

In every assembly election held since 2011, the West Bengal Minister for Municipal Affairs & Urban Development and Kolkata's Mayor, Firhad (Bobby) Hakim, has secured victory in this constituency with substantial margins, consistently achieving over 50 percent of the vote share.

Historically, in both the current Kolkata Port and the former Garden Reach, the influence of dock mafias and their enforcers has played a significant role in shaping voting behavior.

Prior to 2011, during the Garden Reach period, political power oscillated between the CPI(M) and Congress, even throughout the 34-year dominance of the Left Front.

Expert political analysts observe that from 1952 to 2011, dock mafias lacked stable political affiliations, changing allegiances based on the electoral landscape, which led to frequent power shifts.

“Since 2011, political loyalties have stabilized, resulting in overwhelmingly one-sided election outcomes in Kolkata Port,” remarked a political analyst based in the city.

Currently, Hakim, who is the Trinamool candidate again, has a significant advantage over his rivals, particularly as all eight councillors from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) representing this constituency belong to the ruling party.

The primary contest remains between Trinamool and CPI(M). The BJP, yet to declare its candidate, appears to be sidelined. The CPI(M) has nominated its former councillor, Faiyaz Khan, who maintains a strong rapport with a considerable segment of voters in this minority-dominated area.

Two critical factors could pose challenges for Hakim and the Trinamool this election cycle.

The first is the tragic collapse of a construction site in the neighborhood on March 17, 2024, which resulted in the deaths of nine individuals, including two women from the Muslim community. Khan has leveraged this incident to criticize Hakim.

Hakim, along with some councillors, has faced backlash for allegedly promoting illegal construction activities that violate safety regulations, thereby transforming the locality into a “death trap.”

The second issue stems from the significant number of voters removed from the electoral roll in Kolkata Port, as revealed in the final voter list published on February 28 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

There have already been deletions amounting to 22.3 percent, with numerous other names currently under judicial review due to being classified as having “logical discrepancies.”