'Carried Out All My Responsibilities Honestly But...': Firhad Hakim On Resigning As Kolkata Mayor

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Mamata Banerjee’s trusted Firhad Hakim, who resigned as the Mayor of Kolkata on Friday, said he was no longer able to provide people with the services the party hoped he would offer.

Hakim, one of the party’s most prominent leaders and a close aide of the former Chief Minister, said he had sought permission from the TMC chief to resign from the post, citing difficulties in functioning after the BJP came to power in West Bengal.

Speaking at a press conference, he said, “I am thankful to our leader Mamata Banerjee. In December 2018, I was elected (as the Mayor) by the councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation after the abrupt resignation of former mayor Sovan Chatterjee. I carried all my responsibilities

honestly.”

Kolkata: Resigning from the post of Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, TMC leader Firhad Hakim says, “I am thankful to our leader Mamata Banerjee. In December 2018, I was elected (as the Mayor) by the councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation after the abrupt… pic.twitter.com/5cT5oYeHK2

— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2026

Hakim said he took the step to resign because he was unable to perform his responsibilities that the party expected him to.

“Firhad Hakim is nobody without this chair. It is the position that holds importance and commands respect. The chair has value. At present, I am no longer able to provide people with the services they expect from this office,” he added.

Setback For TMC

Hakim has served as Kolkata Mayor since 2018 and has also held several key ministerial portfolios in the state government over the years. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been under Trinamool Congress control since 2010.

The resignation comes against the backdrop of the party’s electoral performance, with the BJP currently leading in 102 of 144 wards, while the TMC is ahead in 42 wards. Hakim’s resignation is seen as a setback for the TMC at a time when the party is facing internal turbulence following its loss of power in the state.

At least 58 of the 80 MLAs elected in the recently concluded polls backed expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition.