Mainul Haque, 5 times MLA of Farakka, passes away at 63, CM tweets

West Bengal's political landscape lost one of its most enduring voices with the passing of Mainul Haque, the former MLA from Farakka, at the age of 63. Admitted to a Kolkata hospital since a severe heart attack struck him in September, Haque fought valiantly but ultimately succumbed to complications today. A towering figure in Murshidabad's corridors of power, his death has ignited an outpouring of grief, not just from his constituents who revered him as a steadfast people's representatives for local development, but from peers who remember his unyielding commitment to public service amid shifting political sands.Haque's journey into politics was as grassroots as it gets—born from the fiery spirit of student activism, he joins the Congress party, rising swiftly to prominence.

His breakthrough came in 1996 when he clinched the Farakka assembly seat, toppling the formidable CPI(M) incumbent Abul Hasnat Khan in a hard-fought battle that signaled a shift in the region's dynamics. What followed was a remarkable streak: five consecutive victories from the same constituency, each one cementing his status as an opposition powerhouse in the state assembly. During his Congress years, Haque wasn't just a local hero; he earned stripes at the national level, serving on the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and even as a party observer in the volatile terrains of Jammu and Kashmir, where his organizational acumen shone through turbulent times.

Yet, Haque's story was far from static—he embodied the fluidity of Bengal's ever-evolving politics. The 2021 assembly polls marked a turning point, as he bowed out to Trinamool Congress's Manirul Islam, prompting a bold pivot. Resigning from Congress with a poignant letter to Sonia Gandhi, he crossed over to TMC later that year, drawn by its rising tide. Welcomed warmly, he was soon elevated to joint president of the state unit, attending key strategy sessions under Abhishek Banerjee's leadership. CM & TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee tweets citing condolences for the veteran politican, Haque's legacy endures—not in marble memorials, but in the empowered lives he touched along the Ganges.