In a significant political development, Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim has resigned from the post of Mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The move comes amid ongoing political activity in West Bengal and is expected to have implications for the state's civic administration. Hakim, one of the party's most prominent leaders and a close aide of Banerjee, had earlier sought permission from the TMC chief to resign from the post, citing difficulties in functioning after the BJP came to power in West Bengal.
According to the information available, Hakim conveyed his intention to resign to Mamata Banerjee, who subsequently accepted his request. With the acceptance of his resignation, Hakim's tenure as the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has effectively come to an end. "At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, he again requested Mamata Banerjee today to allow him to step down, following which she agreed," TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh told reporters.
TMC faces fresh challenges
The development comes amid growing uncertainty within the Trinamool Congress and a series of resignations by party councillors in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in recent weeks. Hakim's resignation marks a setback for the TMC, which comes at a time when the organisation is grappling with internal turbulence following its loss of power in the state.
There was no immediate word on who would succeed Hakim as the Mayor of Kolkata. Hakim, a heavyweight minority face of the TMC, has served as Kolkata Mayor since 2018 and has held several key ministerial portfolios in the state government over the years. The KMC has been under the control of the TMC since 2010.
TMC leader resigns as mayor-in-council of KMC
Earlier on Tuesday, TMC leader Tarak Singh said he resigned as the mayor-in-council of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, claiming he was unable to perform his work properly in the sewerage and drainage department. Singh was a TMC councillor of ward number 118 in southwest Kolkata. "I am not able to complete my mission of freeing Kolkata of waterlogging in heavy rain," he had told reporters.
Expressing his displeasure with a section of TMC leaders, Singh said that some statements made by them during the campaign for the West Bengal assembly elections should have been avoided. He had not attended a key meeting of the TMC's councillors called by party chief Mamata Banerjee after the declaration of the results of the West Bengal assembly elections, which the BJP won and formed its first government in the state.
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