“During my tenure, Kolkata faced several difficult situations, including Cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic. We overcame those challenges with the support of KMC officials and the people of the city,” Firad Hakim said.
Published: June 7, 2026, 8:48 AM IST
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Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee (PTI)
Kolkata New Mayor: TMC leader Firhad Hakim on Friday resigned as Kolkata mayor, in a signal that the aftershocks of the party’s assembly poll rout are now shaking the urban power structures that long anchored its political dominance. With the mayor’s resignation, the administration of the civic body is expected to pass into bureaucratic hands until the state government decides on the next course of action.
The biggest question now is whether the current elected board of the KMC will continue in office or whether the state government will appoint an administrator to run the civic body.
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Here are some of the key details:
- The Trinamool Congress has controlled the KMC since 2010
- TMC’a current municipal board’s term is scheduled to end in December.
- If the board remains in place, a decision on the next mayor is expected to be discussed at a crucial meeting today.
- Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting at 3 pm on Sunday at Trinamool Bhavan on EM Bypass.
- According to sources, all Trinamool councillors and party office-bearers in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been asked to attend the meeting.
- Within the party, speculation is intensifying that former mayor Sovan Chatterjee could be brought back to the post.
Firhad Hakim’s resignation has created uncertainty regarding the functioning of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The state government has sent a letter to the municipal corporation asking why the current board should not be dissolved. The corporation has been directed to submit its response within three days regarding the matter.
Trinamool Congress Steps Up Efforts to Appoint a New Mayor
The Trinamool Congress has been working relentlessly to select a new mayor following Firhad Hakim’s resignation. According to party sources, the name of former mayor Sovan Chatterjee is being seriously considered for the post. Although he is not currently a councillor, the new rules of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation allow any resident of the city to become mayor. However, the individual must win an election and become a councillor within six months of assuming office.
There is, however, a practical challenge. The term of the current municipal board is set to expire within the next six months. As a result, speculation about Sovan Chatterjee’s potential return to the mayor’s office has intensified in political circles.
Firhad Hakim’s Resignation:
Addressing a press conference before demitting office, Hakim said he could no longer discharge his responsibilities in the manner he believed the office demanded.
“During my tenure, Kolkata faced several difficult situations, including Cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic. We overcame those challenges with the support of KMC officials and the people of the city,” he said.
“I worked with authority and conviction. Now that is no longer possible. I cannot continue occupying this chair and disrespecting its dignity. I don’t want to remain here like a general without an army,” he said.
The four-time MLA said he had sought TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s permission before taking the decision. “I told my leader that I want to leave with my head held high. She said okay,” he added.
Hakim also acknowledged that several projects remained unfinished. “A lot of work remains incomplete. I wish those who run the corporation after me all the best. They may do a better job than I could,” he said.
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