West Bengal: Former CM Mamata Banerjee canceled the important meeting after councilors’ refusal!

Kolkata, 7 June. Trinamool Congress (TMC) President and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee canceled at the last moment an important meeting scheduled with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councilors at the Trinamool headquarters on Sunday afternoon. According to party sources, many councilors had flatly refused to attend this meeting, feeling unsafe.

There was a possibility of angry people throwing eggs or rotten tomatoes at the councilors.

It is being told that an emergency meeting of councilors was called to elect a new mayor. But after losing power, Trinamool leaders are facing huge opposition in different parts of the state. The party leadership had also received intelligence that angry people might throw eggs or rotten tomatoes at the Trinamool headquarters or the councilors visiting there. Fearing that they might again become victims of public anger if they attended the Trinamool headquarters meeting on Sunday, many councilors had written letters or called up the top leadership expressing their objection to attending the meeting.

Mamta’s departure to Delhi was also cited as the reason for canceling the meeting.

However, another major reason behind the decision to cancel the meeting was that TMC chief Mamata had to board a flight to Delhi to attend an important meeting of the national level opposition alliance INDIA Block scheduled for Monday. If any untoward incident like throwing of eggs at the party headquarters or elected councilors had happened just before his visit to Delhi, the party’s image in national politics would have been greatly tarnished.

Efforts continue to elect a new mayor for Kolkata Municipal Corporation

At present, even though the meeting has been cancelled, the process of electing a new mayor is continuing to maintain control over the Municipal Corporation. According to Trinamool sources, the party is planning to keep the process completely secret to keep the situation under control. It is reported that the councilors will be called in small groups to a safe and unknown place in the city, where the name of the new mayor will be proposed and necessary signatures will be collected.

Firhad Hakim has resigned from the post of Mayor of KMC.

It is noteworthy that Firhad Hakim resigned from the post of Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on June 5. There was immense pressure on him to resign after the change of government in the state. According to the rules, after the resignation of the Mayor, it becomes almost impossible for the Municipal Corporation to function normally with the ‘Mayor-in-Council’.

Urban Development and Urban Affairs Department has sought clarification

Amidst this situation, the Urban Development and Urban Affairs Department of the state government has already sought clarification as to why the existing Municipal Board should not be dissolved. The administration has sought a written reply within three days. Due to this, resolving the impasse by electing a new mayor and thereby saving the municipal board has become the biggest challenge for the opposition Trinamool party.

Speculation of reinstatement of former Mayor Shobhan Chatterjee to this post

There is a heated discussion in the political circles that former Mayor Shobhan Chatterjee can be reinstated to the post to handle the dissent within the party.