Bidhannagar Corporation mayor resigns a day after Kolkata Corporation mayor quits

The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Mayor tendered his resignation on Thursday (June 4, 2026), just a day after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor quit his role. However, KMC officials are yet to accept Firhad Hakim’s resignation as KMC mayor.

BMC mayor and Trinamool Congress leader Krishna Chakraborty resigned from his post; she cited personal reasons for this move.

“I have resigned as mayor. I will continue to work as a councillor. I want to spend some time for myself… I have been in this seat for the last 16 years,” Ms Chakraborty told reporters. She also added that she has been working for people since she was young and will continue to do so even after resigning as mayor.

Sharadwat Mukherjee, Bharatiya Janta Party MLA from Bidhannagar accused Ms. Chakraborty of sitting on a bed of money for the past many years. “We have listed more than 18-19 properties associated with her, guesthouses running under her. She must be ashamed if people come to know. That’s why she is going behind the scenes now,” Mr Chakraborty said.

This comes as a major development as several leading stakeholders in the Trinamool Congress are switching sides, defecting from the party, facing violence, arrests and two also facing expulsion.

On Wednesday (June 3, 2026), Mr. Hakim tendered his resignation after serving as KMC mayor for nearly seven years. Senior TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh said that Mr. Hakim wanted a dignified exit as the KMC was dissolved by the current state government.

On Thursday (June 4, 2026), KMC chairperson and TMC leader Mala Ray said they are calling a house meeting in KMC on June 19. The previous house meeting on May 22 had to be canceled after the situation between the KMC secretary and the TMC councilors left the situation in a state of confusion.

However, his move has come under fire from the West Bengal government as Mr. Hakim waits for his resignation to be accepted. Bharatiya Janta Party leader and minister Agnimitra Paul called the move irresponsible and accused it of showing a lack of accountability towards the people the leader of the civic body is meant to serve.

“Kolkata is at a critical juncture today. With the onset of the monsoon season, the city faces recurring challenges related to waterlogging, drainage management, public health concerns, road maintenance and emergency preparedness. At such a time, citizens expect their elected representatives to stand by them, address their concerns and ensure smooth functioning of civic services,” Ms. Paul wrote on her social media criticizing Mr. Haki.

Notably, several councilors from Bidhannagar and Calcutta Corporation have come under the police net on charges of intimidation, extortion, threats and corruption and have faced arrest in the last month since the new government came to power in the state.

In other municipalities across the state, several councilors and officials have tendered mass resignations in the past few weeks as the state undergoes major changes.

Elections to the KMC are likely to be held in December 2026 as the five-year term of the last civic body ends at the end of the year.

Published – 05 Jun 2026 07:59 IST