Kolkata: Senior Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim has resigned as the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation at a time when there is moment of uncertainty within the ruling party as it grapples with internal discord.
According to a HT report, Hakim stepped down from his mayoral post after receiving approval from TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Party sources indicated that the resignation was part of an “orderly and mutually agreed transition,” though the development comes against the backdrop of growing turbulence within the party.
Hakim, a long-time confidant of Mamata Banerjee and one of the most prominent faces of the TMC in Kolkata politics, had been serving as mayor since 2018. His exit is being viewed as one of the most high-profile administrative changes within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in recent years.
The resignation comes at a time when the TMC is reportedly facing internal challenges following recent electoral setbacks and increasing factional differences within its legislative and organisational structure. Several reports suggest that the party is witnessing growing unrest among sections of its leadership, with debates emerging over strategy and control of civic and legislative bodies.
According to reports, Hakim had expressed a desire for a “dignified exit” amid shifting political equations within the party and administrative pressure within the civic body. His departure is also linked to broader restructuring efforts being considered by the party leadership in Kolkata’s municipal administration.
Hakim, who also served as Bengal’s Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister until recently, has been one of Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted aides and has played a key role in shaping Kolkata’s civic governance over the past several years.
Political observers feel that his resignation could signal a wider reshuffle within the KMC.
As of now, the party has not announced who will succeed Hakim as Kolkata Mayor.
