‘He wanted dignified exit’: Firhad Hakim resigns as Kolkata mayor, TMC says Mamata Banerjee 'permitted' him to step aside

NEW DELHI: In another major setback to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), its senior leader Firhad Hakim on Wednesday resigned as mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), a post he had held since November 2018.The announcement was made by party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.“Firhad Hakim requested our supremo Mamata Banerjee that he wants to resign. He wants a dignified exit as the state government is rendering the corporation defunct,” he told reporters in Kolkata.“Until now, Mamata Banerjee had not granted permission. However, after today’s administrative meeting at Nabanna, it became clear that the corporation has effectively been made defunct. In view of this situation, and to ensure that his dignity and stature are maintained, Mamata Banerjee has today permitted him to resign,” Ghosh added.Hakim, also known as “Bobby,” is a close aide of Mamata Banerjee. He is a four-time MLA from the Kolkata Port assembly constituency in the West Bengal capital.The development came on a day when the Trinamool inched closer to a split after the assembly Speaker recognised TMC rebel faction Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition. After its defeat in the recent assembly elections, in which the party lost power after 15 years, it had appointed veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of opposition. However, the move was opposed by the rebel faction, which alleged that their signatures were forged on documents submitted in support of Chattopadhyay’s appointment.The rebel faction reportedly comprises 59 of TMC’s 80 MLAs.In the West Bengal assembly elections, held on April 23 and 29, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member House to form its first government in the state.