TMC MLA Firhad Hakim announced his resignation as Kolkata mayor on Friday as trouble for the Mamata-led party continues to brew following the poll debacle in recently concluded assembly elections in Bengal.
“I am resigning as Kolkata mayor because I am not able to work and I cannot disrespect the chair”, Hakim said as he announced his resignation.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was ousted from power as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the polls in a landslide victory by securing 208 seats after the results were announced last month.
But Mamata's party is faced with another crisis of rebellion in its legislative ranks after losing power. On Wednesday, Speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators, led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, as the principal opposition bloc. The rebelling MLAs have accused the party leadership of functioning in an authoritarian manner.
{{/usCountry}}But Mamata's party is faced with another crisis of rebellion in its legislative ranks after losing power. On Wednesday, Speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators, led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, as the principal opposition bloc. The rebelling MLAs have accused the party leadership of functioning in an authoritarian manner.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Mamata Banerjee anticipated TMC crisis, say leaders as more members quit
As part of damage control, the TMC supremo has over the past few days been on a personal outreach mission, dialling several MLAs from Howrah, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur, according to party sources quoted by news agency PTI. Many of them were seen at meetings of the rebel camp led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee.
Also read: Phone calls, prayers, and a Kalighat meeting: Mamata fights to keep TMC hers
The Ritabrata camp seized control of the TMC's legislature party on Wednesday after 58 of the party's 80 MLAs backed his installation as Leader of the Opposition, a claim accepted by assembly speaker Rathindra Bose.
The row was triggered by another meeting at Kalighat where allegations surfaced that signatures of several MLAs were “forged” on a letter proposing her pick as Leader of Opposition.
“She is speaking to legislators individually and asking them to attend a meeting at Kalighat on Friday. The effort is to keep communication channels open and explore the possibility of reconciliation,” a senior TMC leader told PTI.
Also read: Rebellion, mayor exits: Mamata Banerjee's TMC faces one of its biggest challenges ever
As rebellion over the past week kept the TMC on the edge, questions loomed over the fate of Hakim, who is among the most influential leaders of the party.
Earlier this week, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh announced that party supremo Mamata Banerjee had accepted Hakim's request to step down.
"At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, he again requested Mamata Banerjee today to allow him to step down, following which she agreed," PTI news agency quoted Ghosh as saying.