TMC meltdown: Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim resigns with Mamata’s nod as party splits in two

Senior Trinamool Congress leader and MLA Firhad Hakim has resigned from the post of Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. He submitted his resignation letter to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The move comes amid escalating post-poll crisis in the party following TMC’s loss in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, where the BJP made significant gains in Kolkata.

Hakim, was considered a close loyalist of Mamata Banerjee who had held the mayor’s post since 2018 with brief interruptions, cited mounting administrative challenges and internal difficulties in managing the KMC.

His exit comes against the backdrop of severe post-poll turmoil, including a wave of councillor resignations, executive rifts within the corporation, and reports of controversial actions such as the KMC building department issuing notices to properties linked to senior leaders without his knowledge. Reportedly Kolkata Port MLA Hakim felt cornered and insulted, prompting his desire for a “dignified exit” from the high-profile civic role.

On Hakim's resignation, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, "Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim had requested Mamata Banerjee, the party supremo, for permission to resign. He wanted a dignified exit, as the State Government is rendering the Municipal Corporation defunct. 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 senior leader Firhad Hakim's dignity and stature are maintained, Mamata Banerjee has today permitted him to resign, as the Corporation has practically been rendered defunct by the State Government."

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TMC splits in two

Hakim's resignation is deeply intertwined with the broader rebellion rocking TMC, where expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee has emerged as the face of a major internal revolt, and choosen the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

Barely a month after the assembly polls, in which BJP secured a landslide and made deep inroads in Kolkata, nearly 60 TMC MLAs have thrown their weight behind Ritabrata, submitting letters to the Assembly Speaker claiming majority support to install him as Leader of Opposition.

The rebels have accused the party high command, particularly Abhishek Banerjee’s camp, of forging signatures on official communications regarding legislature party positions, including the nomination of Firhad Hakim himself as chief whip.

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Signature forgery row

This West Bnegal signature forgery row has escalated into a full-blown crisis, with TMC responding by dissolving all its frontal organisations and committees for “introspection.”

The parallel developments, Hakim’s resignation from the mayoral post and the open rebellion led by Ritabrata, signal growing discontent within the party ranks against centralised decision-making and the influence of the “next generation” leadership.

Hakim’s exit can be viewed as both a personal decision and a symptom of the larger churn within TMC. As the party battles to prevent a vertical split that could even invoke anti-defection provisions, Mamata Banerjee faces the daunting task of steadying the ship.

With KMC elections due later this year and the party’s organisational structure in flux, Firhad Hakim’s resignation adds fresh fuel to the narrative of a sinking TMC ship.