Amidst reports of internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillors to discuss the selection of a new Mayor following the resignation of Firhad Hakim, who cited an inability to discharge his duties effectively under the "prevailing circumstances." This development follows a show-cause notice issued by the state's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to the KMC, questioning why its board should not be dissolved due to alleged failure to meet obligations and the potential impact of the mayor's resignation on the corporation's functioning. The KMC, with 136 Trinamool councillors, faces uncertainty regarding attendance at the upcoming meeting, which will be crucial in determining the party's continued control and the successor to Hakim, who will have a limited term of approximately six months.

Amidst reports of internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillors to discuss the selection of a new Mayor following the resignation of Firhad Hakim, who cited an inability to discharge his duties effectively under the "prevailing circumstances." This development follows a show-cause notice issued by the state's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to the KMC, questioning why its board should not be dissolved due to alleged failure to meet obligations and the potential impact of the mayor's resignation on the corporation's functioning. The KMC, with 136 Trinamool councillors, faces uncertainty regarding attendance at the upcoming meeting, which will be crucial in determining the party's continued control and the successor to Hakim, who will have a limited term of approximately six months.

Amidst reports of internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillors to discuss the selection of a new Mayor following the resignation of Firhad Hakim, who cited an inability to discharge his duties effectively under the "prevailing circumstances." This development follows a show-cause notice issued by the state's Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department to the KMC, questioning why its board should not be dissolved due to alleged failure to meet obligations and the potential impact of the mayor's resignation on the corporation's functioning. The KMC, with 136 Trinamool councillors, faces uncertainty regarding attendance at the upcoming meeting, which will be crucial in determining the party's continued control and the successor to Hakim, who will have a limited term of approximately six months.

A day after the West Bengal government asked the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)  to explain why its board should not be dissolved following Mayor and TMC leader Firhad Hakim’s resignation, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting with the  Trinamool councillors of Kolkata.

The meeting called at Trinamool Bhaban at 4 pm Sunday evening comes amid reports of turmoil within the party and the majority of its MLAs extending support to the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee. On Friday, Mamata called another crucial meeting at her Kalighat house, for which only eight MLAs, out of the 80, attended. Though the Trinamool later clarified that it was a National Working Committee meeting and not all MPs and MLAs were invited, the absence of 11 of the 13 Rajya Sabha MPs and 24 of the 28 Lok Sabha MPs skipping the meeting grabbed attention.

However, the meeting slated for Sunday is said to have councillors and to decide the name of the next Mayor. But there are doubts about how many councillors will attend the meeting. Interestingly, reports hint that after Firhad’s resignation, the Trinamool leadership did not get any applications or requests from councillors for the post.

There are 136 Trinamool councillors in Kolkata. The fate of the TMC's control over the Corporation will rest on how many of them will attend the meeting on Sunday. Also, the successor to Firhad will have about only six months to complete his duties.

The new Government’s Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department served a show-cause notice on the KMC under provisions of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980, directing it to explain within three days why action should not be initiated against the civic body. The BJP government contended that the civic body was failing to discharge its obligations towards Kolkata's residents and that the resignation of the mayor could adversely affect the normal functioning of the corporation.

Hakim was one of the party's most recognisable minority faces and among Chief Minister  Mamata Banerjee's longest-serving aides. His resignation has rattled the TMC leadership. In his resignation letter to KMC Chairperson Mala Roy on Friday, Firhad said he had always worked with authority and responsibility but could no longer do so under the prevailing circumstances. "I have worked with dignity and authority. People came to me with their problems, and I could solve them. That is no longer possible. I cannot dishonour the chair by merely occupying it," Firhad had said.

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