Firhad “Bobby” Hakim’s sudden resignation as Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has sent shockwaves through the Trinamool Congress, party sources say. Hakim sought permission from Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee before stepping down; she reportedly grudgingly agreed. The decision came days after he attended an administrative meeting called by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and observers view the timing as politically significant.
Party insiders say Hakim’s exit compounds a widening crisis inside the TMC, coming amid open dissent by several MLAs and senior leaders who have begun distancing themselves from the party leadership. Names such as Kunal Ghosh and Nayana Bandopadhyay are cited as sensing a shift in the party’s mood after cohesion among legislators began to fray. Hakim’s attendance, along with two MLAs, at the administration’s meeting intensified speculation about instability in the ruling camp.
The resignation has also highlighted cracks within the party’s minority leadership. With agencies such as the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate reportedly probing Hakim’s properties and finances, some Muslim leaders have adopted independent stances. During Eid, for instance, Javed Khan publicly accepted the administration’s decision to shift the namaz venue from Red Road, arguing the alternative would hold more people, and thus appeared not to oppose the move. Other figures, including Rituparna Ganguly and Sabina Yasmin, are said to have gravitated closer to the new power centre.
Sources say Hakim told Mamata that the mayoralty no longer conferred meaningful administrative authority. Under the Municipal Act the mayor is primarily a policy head while administrative powers rest with the Municipal Commissioner; Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Smita Pandey has been notably proactive post-election and legally reports to the Chief Secretary, not the mayor. Insiders suggest Hakim may have felt politically accountable for decisions beyond his control and feared damage to his credibility.
Political calculations likely shaped his choice. A growing number of councillors have become vocal against current TMC leadership and Abhishek Banerjee, criticizing what they call an “IPAC-style” professionalisation of election management. Reports of councillors preparing a revolt and the possibility of a no-confidence motion reportedly made voluntary resignation a safer option for Hakim than facing a public defeat.
There are also allegations within the party that Hakim may have opened communication channels with the BJP, prompting suspicion of a “double role,” although the BJP counters that it no longer needs engineered defections given rising anti-incumbency. With Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections possibly later this year, the TMC now faces not only external opposition but mounting internal discontent that could reshape its political landscape.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/what-firhad-hakims-resignation-as-kolkata-mayor-means-for-trinamool-11590831#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-06-04 16:48:00
