In a major political blow to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), senior party heavyweight and close Mamata Banerjee loyalist Firhad Hakim has resigned as the Mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The veteran leader, who had held the position since November 2018, stepped down after receiving formal permission from party supremo Mamata Banerjee.
The announcement was made by senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who revealed that Hakim had repeatedly sought permission to exit the role. According to Ghosh, Hakim wanted a “diphignified exit,” citing that the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government had deliberately left the municipal corporation “defunct” and severely impeded its daily administrative operations.
“Until now, Mamata Banerjee had not granted this permission. However, it became evident that the corporation has indeed been rendered defunct by the state government. Our leader has today granted him permission to resign,” Ghosh told reporters.
Hakim’s sudden resignation highlights the escalating internal turmoil gripping the TMC following its recent, historic defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, which brought an end to the party’s 15-year rule. The political landscape shifted rapidly on the same day as a massive rebel faction of 58 dissident TMC MLAs formally broke ranks, gaining recognition from the Assembly Speaker as the principal opposition faction under rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee.
Adding to the complexity, Hakim and several other Mamata loyalists had raised eyebrows earlier in the day by attending an official administrative review meeting at Nabanna convened by the new BJP Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari.
The KMC has been a steadfast bastion for the TMC since 2010. However, following the recent “saffron surge”—where the BJP secured substantial leads in at least 102 of the city’s 144 civic wards—the future of the municipal body remains highly uncertain ahead of the scheduled December 2026 civic elections. The party has not yet announced a successor for the mayoral post.
