Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim has resigned as the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), citing the need to maintain dignity and respect for the chair. This move comes two days after TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated that Hakim had sought permission from party supremo Mamata Banerjee to resign from the mayor's post, which she had granted.
Hakim has been the mayor since 2018 and was also the state urban development and municipal affairs minister. He expressed his best wishes for those who would take charge and urged the new government and chief minister to fulfill the people's aspirations.
This resignation follows a series of TMC leaders stepping down from various posts in civic bodies across the state, including chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, ward councillors, and borough heads in at least 10 municipalities and municipal corporations.
Several TMC leaders have been arrested since May 9 on charges of corruption, extortion, threatening people, and their alleged role in the 2021 post-poll clashes. West Bengal has 128 civic bodies, all led by the TMC, with elections likely to be held by the end of this year.
