On this day in 2014, Tapan Sikdar, a prominent figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who made history by winning the Dumdum Lok Sabha seat twice in West Bengal, passed away in New Delhi after a long illness.
Sikdar had advocated for the relocation of a 136-year-old mosque from the operational area of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata to facilitate airport expansion and enhance aviation safety. His efforts have resurfaced amid current discussions on the mosque’s position.
His nephew, Sourav Sikdar, has taken up the cause to push for airport expansion, aiming to restore international connections that declined during the Left Front’s governance. This move has added a new dimension to Dumdum’s political landscape.
Sourav’s victory in the Dum Dum Uttar Assembly segment, falling within the Dumdum Lok Sabha constituency, coincidentally mirrors his uncle’s historic wins in 1998 and 1999. Tapan Sikdar was the first BJP leader to secure a Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, a state traditionally dominated by the Left Front and later the Trinamool Congress.
