Legal issues have surfaced regarding the future of the Trinamool Congress-controlled board in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) following Mayor Firhad Hakim’s resignation. Hakim officially stepped down as the Mayor of the KMC, the oldest and largest urban civic body in West Bengal, on Friday. In response, the state municipal affairs and urban development department has instructed KMC Chairperson and TMC Lok Sabha MP Mala Roy to dissolve the current board under Section 117(1) of the KMC Act, 1980.
Mala Roy, however, has declined to dissolve the board and has advocated for its continuation for the full term under Section 38 of the KMC Act. This section allows the Deputy Mayor to assume the Mayor’s duties in unforeseen circumstances or the Mayor’s absence, ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of the municipal administration in Kolkata. Until a new Mayor is elected through a vote of confidence, the Deputy Mayor, Atin Ghosh, is proposed to oversee the mayoral responsibilities under Section 28 of the KMC Act.
Meanwhile, a differing viewpoint has been presented by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilor and legislator, Sajal Ghosh. Ghosh contends that the Mayor’s resignation automatically dissolves the entire Mayor-in-Council, leaving the councilors in place. He emphasized the constitutional aspect of the matter and suggested seeking clarification from the Municipal Commissioner, a bureaucrat, for further insights. Mayor Firhad Hakim, who had earlier announced his resignation, officially submitted his resignation on Friday, citing the inability to continue managing both the Mayor’s role and the state municipal affairs and urban development department responsibilities.
