Firhad Hakim elected as first muslim mayor of Kolkata
Kolkata, Dec 3: West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim on Monday became the first Muslim since independence to be elected as the Kolkata mayor.
Hakim secured 121 votes in the 144-member Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to win the mayoral election. BJP's Meena Devi Purohit bagged five votes, while 12 Left Front and two Congress councillors had boycotted the election.
The result of the election, conducted through secret ballots, was announced by the civic body's municipal secretary, Harihar Prasad Mondal. It was necessitated following the resignation of Sovan Chatterjee from the post on November 22.
Hakim, who also holds the portfolio of municipal affairs, said his victory was also a "moral defeat" for the BJP.
Purohit had claimed last week that she would receive more votes than her party's strength in the KMC, hinting at a possibility of cross-voting. The election results, however, indicated that there was no cross-voting.
The TMC has 122 seats in the KMC House, the Left Front 14, the BJP five, the Congress two, while one seat is vacant. Sources said one TMC councillor gave the election a miss due to ill-health.
After being elected the 29th mayor of the city since independence, Hakim said he should be known by his work and not by his religion and spelt out various development initiatives.
"I will work for the development and beautification of the city. I will work towards making the city pollution-free," he said.
Hakim said the people would get tax rebates if they took up efforts to plant trees in their houses. He also stressed on waste management and recycling to keep the city clean.
The new mayor also announced a WhatsApp number, asking the citizens to inform about their problems and come up with suggestions to improve the municipal services.
Steps would be taken to ensure that there was no waterlogging in the city during heavy rainfall, he said.
Last week, CPI(M) councillor Bilquis Begum had moved the Calcutta High Court challenging Hakim's candidature in the mayoral polls on the ground that he was not a councillor from any ward of the civic body. The high court had on Friday refused to stay the election.
Hakim, was chosen as the mayor designate by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors on November 22 in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Talking to media after the announcement of the poll results, Hakim's predecessor Chatterjee extended his best wishes to the new mayor. "I am sure the KMC will function well under the leadership of the new mayor," he said.
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Maharashtra secures historic sword of Raghuji Bhosale in London auction
LONDON/MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has acquired the sword of Raghuji Bhosale, founder of the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty and a distinguished commander in the Maratha army under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, after winning it in an auction in London.
Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar formally took possession of the weapon on Monday. It is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on 18 August, where it will be received with ceremonial honours, as reported by The Indian Express.
News of the sword’s availability surfaced on 28 April this year. Minister Shelar consulted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after which the government began preparations to participate in the auction.
A group of Marathi-speaking residents in London gathered to witness the handover. Hemant Dalvi, Deputy Director of the Archaeology Department, accompanied the minister during the formalities.
The sword is an 18th-century Maratha Firangi. It has a straight, single-edged European blade with a gold-inlaid Mulheri hilt and near the hilt is the European manufacturer’s name, while the spine bears a gold-inlaid Devanagari inscription reading “Shreemant Raghoji Bhosale Senasahib Subha Firang,” confirming its connection to Raghuji Bhosale. The hilt’s gold koftgari work and the green cloth-wrapped rounded pommel add to its rarity as Maratha weapons of the period typically lacked elaborate ornamentation or inscriptions.
Raghuji Bhosale I, ruled from Nagpur between 1695 and 1755. He expanded Maratha influence into Bengal, Odisha, Chanda, Chhattisgarh, Sambalpur and parts of southern India. His military campaigns, included victories over the Nawabs of Bengal, Cuddapah and Kurnool. The Nagpur kingdom was also known for its rich deposits of iron and copper, used for weapons and trade.
While few historians believe that the sword left India in the early 19th century, as part of the war booty taken by the British East India Company after their victory over the Bhosales at the Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817, others say it was taken later as a diplomatic gift.
The sword will be escorted from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to PL Deshpande Kala Academy in Dadar by a ceremonial bike rally upon its arrival in Mumbai next week. A cultural programme titled Gad Garjana will be held the same day in the presence of state dignitaries.
Minister Shelar described the acquisition as an important moment for Maharashtra’s heritage and extended his thanks to the Chief Minister, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar for their support in securing the artefact.
