Krishna Chakraborty stepped down as the Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation on Thursday, citing personal reasons after 16 years in the post.
A long-time associate of Mamata Banerjee, Chakraborty submitted her resignation to the municipal commissioner and expressed a desire to continue as a councillor.
The resignation occurs during a period of political upheaval for the Trinamool Congress following its loss in the recent West Bengal assembly elections.
Trinamool Congress leader Krishna Chakraborty resigned as the mayor of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation on Thursday, citing personal reasons, an official said, as reported by PTI.
A long-time associate of Trinamool Congress supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chakraborty submitted her resignation to the municipal commissioner earlier in the day.
The resignation comes at a time of significant political upheaval in West Bengal following the recent assembly elections, which has seen the Trinamool Congress lose control of the state government. The loss of a veteran leader from a key municipal position adds another layer to the shifting political landscape in the region's shifting political landscape.
Reasons and official confirmation
"This is entirely my personal decision. I have been in this chair for 16 years. I have no grudge against anyone. I have followed the rules to resign. I want to give some time to myself. I want to work as a councillor," Chakraborty told PTI.
Officials of the civic body confirmed the receipt of her resignation letter shortly after it was submitted.
"We have received her letter expressing her desire to step down. She has also marked copies of her resignation to the municipal affairs minister and the additional chief secretary of the department," an official said to PTI.
Trinamool Congress internal crisis
The resignation unfolds against a backdrop of deep instability within the party. Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the chief minister of West Bengal, having been sworn in on May 9 following the BJP's landslide victory in the April-May assembly elections.
Banerjee remains the official chairperson of the Trinamool Congress, but her leadership is facing a severe internal crisis after the party's electoral defeat.
The Trinamool Congress is experiencing a major split. A faction of 58 rebel MLAs has broken away to appoint expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition. This manoeuvre effectively sidelines Abhishek Banerjee, even as the breakaway group professes nominal loyalty to Mamata Banerjee as a "foundational anchor."
