• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Wed, 25 Sep 2024 03:40 PM (IST)
  • Source:IANS
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TMC's Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam passed away on Wednesday at the age of 61. He had been battling liver cancer for quite some time. The two-time MP is survived by his wife, Rashida Begum, and four children. His first term as a member of the Lok Sabha began in 2009 after his election to the lower House of the Parliament on a TMC ticket.

In the recent Lok Sabha election, Islam was fielded by his party from Basirhat once again for a high-octane electoral battle that saw Rekha Patra, a figure from the Sandeshkhali movement, compete against him as a BJP candidate. He managed to emerge victorius with a massive margin of around 3.4 lakh votes.

WHO WAS BASIRHAT MP HAJI NURUL ISLAM?

This was the second time Islam was fielded by the TMC from Basirhat as he was not amongst the party's candidates in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Throughout his political career, Islam also served two terms as the MLA of Haroa Assembly constituency in West Bengal. He was elected from the seat in 2016 and in 2021.

In the wake of Islam's demise, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted a condolence message on X (formerly Twitter). "Sad to know of the demise of my valued colleague, our MP of Basirhat, Haji Sk. Nurul Islam. He was a dedicated social worker in a remote Sundarban area, and he worked hard for the uplift of poor people in a backward region. People of Basirhat will miss his leadership. I convey my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," the CM's message read.

Islam's close associates in the party said he was not in good health even when his name was announced as the party candidate from Basirhat this year. "He had to be hospitalised a number of times since then and he could not even participate in a full- fledged campaign because of his ailments," said an aide of the deceased TMC leader. Besides Kolkata, he was also treated by cancer specialists in Delhi and Mumbai.

(With inputs from IANS)