TMC MP, who won from Basirhat despite Sandeshkhali controversy, passes away

Haji Sk Nurul Islam, 61, who had won from the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal in one of the most widely watched contests in the 2024 General Elections, passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer on Wednesday morning.

“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 upliftment of poor people in a backward region. People of Basirhat will miss his leadership,” West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee posted on X. “I convey my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” she added.

The Basirhat constituency was under the spotlight during Parliamentary elections because of the protests by women in  Sandeshkhali island.

The women were protesting against the excesses, including sexual assaults by TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, whose writ ran large in the area.

The BJP, in a bid to exploit the local sentiment, gave the party ticket to Rekha Patra, who played a key role in organising the protests against Shahjahan Sheikh.

Patra hogged the limelight after PM Modi addressed her as ‘Shakti Swaroopa’.

However, TMC candidate Nurul Islam, who was not keeping well, secured a resounding victory and defeated Patra by over three lakh votes.