Who Is TMC’s Rising Star Priyadarshini Hakim?

At a time when Kolkata Mayor and state minister for urban development Firhad Hakim was snubbed by the Trinamool Congress party in raising the parking fee in KMC areas, a few days back, the party’s projection of his eldest daughter Priyadarshini Hakim in the political arena has raised many eyebrows in the state.  On March 29 she was seen at the dharna manch at the Gandhi statue along with chief minister Mamata Banerjee, she was seen hosting the All Women’s Daawat-E Iftar (grand Iftar meet) on April 8 under the aegis of West Bengal Trinamool Mahila Congress; she has been made general secretary of the same organization. Before entering politics she worked in the corporate communications department of CESC for 9 years. After her schooling from Modern High School she did postgraduate in public relations from Xavier Institute of Communications. Sources in the TMC said that a section of TMC leaders are aggrieved with the sudden rise of Priyadarshini. Is it because of her father’s proximity to Didi? Political analysts however feel that it’s a calculated measure of Didi to win over the minority people of the state. According to Biswanath Chakarborty, Professor of Political Science at Rabindra Bharati University, “TMC is facing wrath in the state, because of the tainted image of some of the prominent leaders. Priyadarshini is the new face and so the party thought it to be wise to project her before the panchayat elections.”