{"id":782909,"date":"2026-03-24T15:31:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news24online.com\/?p=782909"},"modified":"2026-03-24T15:31:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:01:27","slug":"who-is-tmcs-firhad-hakim-and-why-is-he-in-spotlight-for-chocolate-politics-ahead-of-west-bengal-elections-2026-know-real-reason-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news24online.com\/india\/who-is-tmcs-firhad-hakim-and-why-is-he-in-spotlight-for-chocolate-politics-ahead-of-west-bengal-elections-2026-know-real-reason-here\/782909\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is TMC\u2019s Firhad Hakim and why is he in spotlight for \u2018chocolate politics\u2019 ahead of West Bengal elections 2026? Know REAL reason here"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The political battle in Bhabanipur, one of West Bengal\u2019s most high-profile constituencies, has taken an unusual turn, reaching even chocolates. Senior minister and former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim was seen campaigning door-to-door in the Chetla area, seeking votes for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. During the campaign, a video captured a moment that has now stirred political debate. Hakim was seen taking chocolates out of his pocket and distributing them to children present at a house. The opposition has called this an attempt to influence voters and is preparing to file a complaint with the Election Commission of India. The key question is whether this seemingly harmless act violates the Model Code of Conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rising Political Profile of Firhad Hakim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, Firhad Hakim\u2019s stature in West Bengal politics has grown significantly. He is considered one of Mamata Banerjee\u2019s most trusted aides and a prominent minority face of the party. From serving as Kolkata Mayor to holding the Urban Development portfolio, his political journey reflects his influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was also in the news last year due to a controversial statement about community representation. Now, he is again making headlines, this time over the \u201cchocolate distribution\u201d incident during campaigning in Bhabanipur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Do Election Rules Say?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to election guidelines, distributing any kind of goods, gifts, or food items during campaigning, even to children, can be seen as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Inducement of voters: Under the \u201cGeneral Conduct\u201d rules, candidates or their agents cannot offer any form of inducement to voters. Even though chocolates were given to children, it may still be interpreted as an attempt to influence voters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of children: In February 2024, the Election Commission introduced a \u201czero tolerance\u201d policy stating that children should not be used in political campaigns. While children were not campaigning here, giving them gifts could still be viewed as questionable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Possible Legal Provisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951: Treats bribery, including gifts meant to influence voters, as a corrupt practice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Provisions related to undue influence in elections could also apply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will the Election Commission Take Action?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, distributing small items like chocolates or toffees may be ignored on humanitarian grounds. However, if opposition parties like BJP, Congress, or CPI(M) present it as an attempt to \u201cbuy votes\u201d with evidence, the Election Commission may issue a show-cause notice to Firhad Hakim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ruling party\u2019s stand is that it was simply a gesture of affection towards children and had no political intent. However, given the sensitivity of the Bhabanipur seat, officials are closely monitoring the situation and reviewing the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, it remains to be seen whether the Election Commission treats this as a minor incident or a serious violation of the Model Code of Conduct.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The opposition views this as an attempt to influence voters and may file a complaint with the Election Commission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3250,"featured_media":782916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","short_title":"","seo-keywords":"","news-seo-keywords":"","author-reported-field":"3250","author-review-field":null,"article-sources-field":"","byline_field":"","survey_poll":"","ai_generated_summary":"{\"classification\":{\"archetype\":\"POLITICS\",\"sub_type\":\"ELECTION_VIOLATION\",\"urgency_score\":\"7\"},\"primary_label\":\"Key Details of the Bhabanipur Chocolate Incident\",\"primary_data\":[\"Firhad Hakim, a senior minister and former Kolkata Mayor, was filmed distributing chocolates to children during a campaign for Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.\",\"The opposition plans to file a complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging the act violates the Model Code of Conduct.\",\"Election guidelines state that distributing goods or food items during campaigning, even to children, can be considered a violation.\",\"The incident occurred in the Chetla area of the Bhabanipur constituency.\"],\"secondary_label\":\"Potential Legal Implications\",\"secondary_data\":[\"The act could be interpreted as an inducement to voters under the 'General Conduct' rules and potentially fall under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, regarding bribery.\"]}","faq-group":{"faq-question_1":"","faq-description_1":"","faq-question_2":"","faq-description_2":"","faq-question_3":"","faq-description_3":"","faq-question_4":"","faq-description_4":"","faq-question_5":"","faq-description_5":""}},"categories":[130],"tags":[374763],"class_list":["post-782909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india","tag-west-bengal-assembly-elections-2026"],"recipe-group":{"preparation_time":"","total_cooking_time":"","recipe_yield":"","recipe_cuisine":"","recipe_rating_value":"","recipe_servingsize":"","recipe_calories":"","recipe_ingredients":"","recipe_instructions_head_1":"","recipe-instructions_1":"","recipe_instructions_head_2":"","recipe-instructions_2":"","recipe_instructions_head_3":"","recipe-instructions_3":"","recipe_instructions_head_4":"","recipe-instructions_4":"","recipe_instructions_head_5":"","recipe-instructions_5":"","recipe_instructions_head_6":"","recipe-instructions_6":""},"embed-url-group":{"embed-url":"","embed-duration":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who is TMC\u2019s Firhad Hakim and why is he in spotlight for \u2018chocolate politics\u2019 ahead of West Bengal elections 2026? Know REAL reason here<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The opposition views this as an attempt to influence voters and may file a complaint with the Election Commission.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news24online.com\/india\/who-is-tmcs-firhad-hakim-and-why-is-he-in-spotlight-for-chocolate-politics-ahead-of-west-bengal-elections-2026-know-real-reason-here\/782909\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who is TMC\u2019s Firhad Hakim and why is he in spotlight for \u2018chocolate politics\u2019 ahead of West Bengal elections 2026? 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