India, May 4 -- Trinamool heavyweight, Mayor of Kolkata, and Bengal cabinet minister, Firhad Hakim, is contesting the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from the Kolkata Port constituency. A key aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Hakim-widely known by his nickname "Bobby"-is one of the most powerful faces in the state government.

Hakim's 2026 campaign is built on his record of urban transformation. As Mayor, he has prioritised "Green and Clean Kolkata" initiatives and the revamp of slum areas into model residential zones.

On the campaign trail, he framed the election as a choice between "stable development" and the "political conspiracies" of the opposition, frequently dismissing investigations by central agencies as politically m...