Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has appealed for support for his niece Saira Shah Haleem in the Ballygunge bypoll. Along with this, Ratna Pathak Shah, wife of Naseeruddin Shah, has also appealed for Saira’s support by releasing the video. Saira Shah Halim is the candidate of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Ballygunge by-election. From here, the candidate from Trinamool Congress is former Union Minister Babul Supriyo.
Actually, this video has been posted by Saira Shah Haleem herself on her Twitter handle. In the video, actor Naseeruddin Shah says that I am not associated with any political party, I am just appealing to support Saira Shah Haleem’s candidature for Ballygunge by-election. I have always seen him as a courageous and honest person, who is eager to help people. She has been a vocal defender of our rights.
At the same time, Ratna Pathak Shah, wife of Naseeruddin Shah, also posted a video giving her support to Saira Shah Haleem. He said that Saira Haleem is hope and the future. Vote for him I hope we can rally for them and help them make a difference in the lives of the youth of the country.
The contest for Ballygunge by-election has become a high-profile contest. This seat in South Kolkata fell vacant after the death of minister and veteran leader Subrata Mukherjee. Earlier in a conversation with Hindustan Times, Saira called the family’s identity accidental. He said that I am proud of my father and uncle, but the identity of the family is only incidental to me.
He said that I always worked for the people, participated in the movement against CAA and NRC and helped my husband in running blood donation and dialysis camps. People in Ballygunge area know that I will not change my ideology. Dr Fuad Halim, husband of Saira, daughter of Army Deputy Chief Lt Gen Jamir Uddin Shah, is also a CPI(M) leader. He is known for running health camps and low-cost dialysis clinics for the poor. He is the son of former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Haseem Abdul Halim.
Let us tell you that not only Ballygunge, Asansol Lok Sabha seat has also become high profile. Mamta Banerjee has fielded actor Shatrughan Sinha from here. The place fell vacant after Supriyo, who won the seat twice for the BJP, left the party. Apart from this, CPI has fielded Partha Mukherjee from Asansol, while BJP has fielded Agnimitra Paul.