TMC mayors and councillors resign, accuse BJP of paralysing civic bodies

A spate of resignations by both Mayors and councillors over the past one month has brought civic governance in large parts of West Bengal to a standstill. At least four mayors, all belonging to Trinamool Congress, resigned after results of the assembly election were announced on 4 May, 2026. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, Bidhan Nagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, Chandan Nagar Mayor Ram Chakraborty and Katwa Municipality Chairman Kamalakanta Chakraborty put in their papers along with a large number of councillors.

In Chandan Nagar alone, 30 Trinamool Congress councillors resigned, leading to the collapse of the municipal board. In Mekhliganj municipality in Coochbehar district, all Trinamool Congress councillors walked over to the Congress, giving the party control of this solitary municipality. For the record, there are seven municipal corporations and 127 municipalities in the state.

The resignations have worried the BJP government in the state as well. Cabinet minister Agnimitra Paul accused the TMC mayors and councillors of abdicating responsibility. Paul expressed concern over the timing of the resignations, saying, "I am surprised that so many mayors and civic representatives are leaving just ahead of the monsoon season. I am not sure how we will manage the entire situation."

With Southwest monsoon expected to reach coastal West Bengal in the second week of June, much of the preparatory work like clearing drainage to prevent waterlogging are said to be pending. People in different parts of the state are complaining of irregular garbage collection, poor drainage maintenance and a lack of visible engagement from elected municipal representatives.

The situation has become particularly alarming because many councillors who were once highly active in their wards have largely disappeared from public view since the Assembly election results were announced. Opposition parties and local residents have raised concerns about who will address civic problems if elected representatives are absent and municipal boards continue to collapse.

Trinamool Congress leaders claim that fear and political pressure are driving the crisis. Firhad Hakim, who resigned as the Mayor of Kolkata, told the media that he was stepping down because conditions were such that he could not function. Party spokesperson Anirban Banerjee alleged, "The BJP is compelling mayors and municipal representatives to resign. They are either putting administrators in place or asking municipal commissioners to act on their own and ignore elected representatives. People are also scared that they may be attacked by BJP supporters, arrested by the police and harassed by agencies."

The BJP refuted the allegations. TMC representatives are resigning, they say, because they are unable to face the public and justify their performance. BJP leaders have kept up a public and steady barrage of allegations of rampant corruption and financial mismanagement in the civic bodies and failure to provide basic services.

Residents say that the impact of administrators running the show is already being felt. In several neighbourhoods, people complain that municipal workers are not collecting household waste regularly. Morning door-to-door garbage collection has reportedly become irregular in some areas. Shopkeepers and traders in major markets have expressed concern about rubbish accumulating in public spaces, warning that the situation could deteriorate further if civic management remains paralysed.

A trader in central Kolkata Santosh Jha said, "The bins are overflowing more often now. During the monsoon this will become a health hazard. We need quick action, not political fighting." Residents are also worried about blocked drains, waterlogged roads, mosquito breeding and delays in emergency repairs. Public health experts warn that poor waste management combined with stagnant rainwater could increase the risk of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

The BJP, which does not control a single municipality in the state, has aggressively attacked the civic bodies with an eye to the local body elections expected later this year. While the Election Commission announces the dates, in the normal course elections for the Kolkata Corporation would have been held by December 2026.