A doughty fighter, a humble background and a committed communist, Shakti Mohan Malik is the CPI(M) candidate nominated by the Left Front for the 29-Arambagh (SC) Parliamentary constituency. Not unfamiliar with Parliamentary politics, the outgoing MP is seeking a re-election to the same constituency that voted and elected him to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009. A teacher by profession, it was a life of struggle for Malik. Born in a SC family, he faced acute financial crisis all his childhood. Overcoming several hurdles, he did his M.A. (Bengali and Political Science) and B.Ed. from Burdwan University. As a student, he became active in the Left students’ movement in his college days and later worked in the teachers’ front and finally joined the CPI(M) in 2009. As a MP, he served as a member, Committee on Commerce and member, Committee on Urban Development. His interests include literature and sports. He continues to be associated with various social causes, a conscious preoccupation which he picked up during his college days.