Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim resigned from his post on Friday, adding to the troubles facing the Mamata Banerjee-led party after its heavy defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. His resignation comes at a time when the party is also dealing with growing dissent from several of its own legislators.

While announcing his decision, Hakim said, “I am resigning as Kolkata mayor because I am not able to work and I cannot disrespect the chair”. His statement highlighted his dissatisfaction with the current situation and his inability to carry out his responsibilities effectively.

The TMC suffered a major setback in the Assembly elections, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a massive victory. The BJP won 208 seats and removed the TMC from power after years of its dominance in the state. Since the election results were declared last month, the party has been facing increasing internal challenges.

One of the biggest issues confronting the TMC is the rebellion within its legislative ranks. On Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised a group of 58 rebel TMC MLAs as the principal opposition bloc in the Assembly. The group is led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who has emerged as the face of the rebellion against the party leadership.

The rebel legislators have accused the TMC leadership of functioning in an authoritarian manner. Their dissatisfaction has led to a major split within the party, raising concerns about its future direction and unity. The recognition of the rebel camp by the Speaker has further strengthened their position.

According to party sources quoted by PTI, Mamata Banerjee has personally started reaching out to legislators in an attempt to contain the crisis. Over the past few days, she has reportedly spoken with several MLAs from districts such as Howrah, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur. Many of these legislators had recently attended meetings organised by the rebel group led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.

The rebel camp achieved a significant breakthrough on Wednesday when it claimed control over the TMC legislature party. According to the group, 58 out of the party’s 80 MLAs supported Ritabrata Banerjee’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition. The claim was later accepted by Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose.

The ongoing conflict within the party intensified after a separate meeting held at Kalighat. During that meeting, allegations surfaced that signatures of several MLAs had been “forged” on a letter proposing Mamata Banerjee’s preferred candidate for the position of Leader of the Opposition. The allegations further deepened mistrust within the party and added to the political turmoil.

Amid efforts to restore unity, Mamata Banerjee has been trying to maintain direct communication with legislators. Referring to her outreach initiative, a senior TMC leader told PTI, “She is speaking to legislators individually and asking them to attend a meeting at Kalighat on Friday. The effort is to keep communication channels open and explore the possibility of reconciliation.”

As the rebellion continued over the past week, political observers also questioned the future role of Firhad Hakim within the party. Hakim is considered one of the most influential and senior leaders of the TMC. His resignation has therefore attracted significant attention and has been viewed as another sign of the challenges currently facing the party.

Earlier this week, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh revealed that Mamata Banerjee had accepted Hakim’s request to step down. According to Ghosh, Hakim had previously expressed his desire to resign but was persuaded to continue in the position.

Explaining the sequence of events, Ghosh said, "At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, he again requested Mamata Banerjee today to allow him to step down, following which she agreed," PTI news agency quoted Ghosh as saying.

Hakim’s resignation comes at a sensitive time for the TMC, which is trying to recover from its electoral defeat while also managing a serious internal rebellion. With senior leaders leaving key positions and a large group of legislators openly challenging the leadership, the party faces a difficult task in rebuilding unity and regaining political stability in the coming weeks.