Kunal Ghosh, a senior TMC leader, said on Wednesday that party leader Firhad Hakim will resign from the post of Kolkata mayor after Mamata Banerjee accepted his request, news agency PTI reported.
Al-Hakim had earlier sought permission from the TMC chief to resign from his post, citing difficulties in working after the BJP came to power in West Bengal, according to PTI. But no official confirmation of the resignation has yet arrived.
“At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, today he again asked Mamata Banerjee to allow him to step down, after which she agreed,” Ghosh told reporters.
Hakim has served as Mayor of Kolkata since 2018 and has held several key portfolios in the state government over the years.
Internal rift in TMC
This development comes at a time when the Transitional Military Council is witnessing internal divisions, with many council members at the municipal level resigning or skipping work.
According to a PTI report, TMC members in several municipalities resigned in droves, while several elected representatives reportedly stopped attending office. Reports indicate that more than 100 council members have resigned.
At least 58 of the 80 MPs elected in the recently concluded bypolls on Wednesday unanimously supported the appointment of ousted TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly.
The West Bengal CM accepted a letter signed by 58 MLAs. HT learned that two other MLAs are also part of the group, but are currently outside the state.
The development comes after the TMC appointed senior MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly amid allegations of forged signatures on official documents.
Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandipan Saha raised objections to the authenticity of signatures on an earlier letter submitted to the Speaker in support of Chattopadhyay’s nomination.
Following their complaints, the West Bengal CID initiated an investigation, following which the party expelled both the leaders.
