TMC MLA Firhad Hakim on Wednesday resigned as Kolkata mayor after party supremo Mamata Banerjee accepted his request to step down, senior party leader Kunal Ghosh said, news agency PTI reported.
Hakim 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 PTI. However, an official confirmation of the resignation is yet to be received.
“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,” Ghosh told reporters.
TMC’s internal rift
The development comes at a time when the TMC is witnessing internal rifts, with several councillors at the municipal level either resigning or skipping work.
As per a PTI report, TMC councillors in several municipalities have resigned in groups, while many elected representatives have reportedly stopped attending office. Reports suggest that over 100 councillors have stepped down.
At least 58 of the 80 MLAs elected in the recently concluded polls on Wednesday unanimously supported and appointed expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly.
The West Bengal Speaker has accepted a letter signed by the 58 MLAs. Two other MLAs are also part of the group, but they are currently outside the state, HT has learnt.
This development comes after TMC appointed senior MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly amid allegations of forged signatures on official documents.
Ritabrata Banerjee and MLA Sandipan Saha had raised objections over the authenticity of signatures on an earlier letter submitted to the Speaker backing Chattopadhyay’s candidature.
Following their complaints, the West Bengal CID initiated an inquiry, after which the party expelled both leaders.
