'Leaving with my head held high': Mamata aide Firhad Hakim resigns as Kolkata mayor

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."

A close aide of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Hakim said he stepped down “with his head held high” after obtaining the consent of the former West Bengal chief minister.

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," he added.

Remembering his appointment as mayor in November 2018, Hakim noted his initial uncertainty about matching the legacy of the past leaders of the civic body, 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 remarked.

The resignation of Hakim, a prominent minority face of the TMC and a key figure in its urban organisation, 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.

Additionally, the party is staring at a split after 60 its 80 MLAs revolted against its no. 2 Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew.

The Kolkata corporation, under TMC control since 2010, remains one of its most important institutional bases.

Hakim also made history as the first Muslim mayor of Kolkata after Independence.

(With PTI inputs)