Kolkata, June 7 (IANS). Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former Chief Minister of West Bengal on Sunday canceled an important meeting with her party councilors in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Information about the cancellation of the meeting has already been sent to the councilors, who were asked to be present at Trinamool Bhawan, the party’s state headquarters on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata, on Sunday. However, the councilors have not given any reason for the cancellation of the meeting.
It has also been learned that Mamata Banerjee is going to New Delhi on Monday to attend the meeting of the opposition ‘India’ block.
His nephew and Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had left for New Delhi on Saturday itself.
Sunday’s meeting with KMC councilors was considered important as former West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and former KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim has resigned.
Following his resignation, the new state government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari sent a notice to KMC officials on Saturday evening. In this, he has been asked to explain why the Trinamool Congress controlled board of KMC should not be dissolved after the resignation of the Mayor.
The current KMC board is facing a crisis, not only because of Hakim’s resignation as mayor, but also because of the resignation of some other elected representatives of the board, including one member (Mayor-in-Council) and some borough chairmen.
This notice has been sent amid legal complications regarding the survival of the TMC-controlled board. There was a debate and counter-debate on the issue between KMC chairperson Mala Roy and the state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department.
The state government department argues that under Section 117(1) of the KMC Act, 1980, which empowers the state government to dissolve the corporation, the Trinamool Congress-run board should stand dissolved after the mayor’s resignation.
Moreover, since the results of the recently held West Bengal Assembly elections were declared on May 4, till Sunday morning, the police have arrested a total of eight Trinamool Congress councilors in the KMC on different charges like corruption, extortion and misbehavior with women.
–IANS
SCH/PM
