Kolkata: When the new West Bengal
Assembly is formed after the April-May election, it will miss
the familiar face of Hasim Abdul Halim who presided over the
proceedings for the past 29 years.
Octogenarian Halim has decided not to contest the
coming election for the 15th Assembly on health ground and
requested his party CPI-M not to renominate him for the polls.
Halim, who very recently recovered from heart
problems, said, "I have been strictly under doctors advice and
will therefore not be able to contest the election."
Due to his poor health, the party had changed his
constituency Amdanga in North 24-Parganas district, from where
he was elected in 1977 for the first time, to Entally in the
city in the last 2006 election.
A lawyer by profession, Halim started his innings by
becoming the law minister in 1977 when the Left Front swept to
power in the state. In 1982 Halim took over as Speaker from
Mansoor Habibullah.
Fuad Halim, his son, has been given nomination by the
CPI-M to contest from Ballygunge seat in the coming elections.
Apart from Halim, Deputy Speaker Bhaktipada Ghosh,
elected from Dubrajpur in Birbhum district, and Left Front
chief whip Syed Mohammad Masiha, elected from Bhatar in
Burdwan district in the last election, too have opted out of
the elections citing poor health.
PTI
