NEW DELHI: Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim on Friday resigned as mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), citing an “inability to work properly.”He stepped down “with his head held high” after obtaining the consent of Trinamool supremo and former West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee.At a pre-resignation press conference, the Kolkata Port MLA reflected on his nearly 7.5-year tenure as mayor, thanking KMC officials and Kolkata residents for their support through major crises, including Cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic.“We successfully overcame these challenges with the support of KMC officials and the citizens of the city,” Hakim told reporters.“I wanted to leave with my head held high. I sought permission from my leader, and she (Mamata Banerjee) granted it,” the he added.Remembering his appointment as Kolkata mayor in November 2018, Hakim noted his initial uncertainty about matching the legacy of past civic leaders, including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das.“I never thought I could become a worthy successor to stalwarts like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, who once occupied this chair,” he said.A prominent minority face of the TMC and a key figure in its urban organisation, Hakim’s resignation came amid continued political turbulence within the party following its defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections, which saw it lose power in the state after 15 years.His exit also comes amid organisational strain within the Trinamool and a wave of councillor resignations in recent weeks, adding uncertainty to the party’s civic structure.The corporation, under TMC control since 2010, remains one of the its most important institutional bases.Hakim also made history as the first Muslim mayor of Kolkata after Independence.(With PTI inputs)
