Kolkata, May 23: The internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) became evident following the party’s significant defeat in the recent West Bengal assembly elections. This was highlighted when several Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillors failed to attend a crucial meeting called by party supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
This situation arose amid a series of notices issued by the KMC regarding properties linked to Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata’s nephew and the TMC’s general secretary. Currently, the TMC holds a majority in the KMC board with 137 councillors.
However, according to an unnamed councillor who attended the meeting, only about 100 councillors were present on Friday afternoon. Notably absent was Debasish Kumar, a member of the Mayor-in-Council (MMIC), who recently lost in the Rashbehari assembly constituency of South Kolkata.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister urged the attending councillors not to be disheartened by the bureaucratic resistance within the KMC, which has been attributed to the non-compliance of elected councillors, municipal chairpersons, MMIC members, and even Mayor Firhad Hakim. She encouraged the current party councillors to stand firm, resist fear, and continue their work to the best of their abilities.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee responded for the first time on Friday afternoon to the series of notices sent by the KMC regarding 17 properties he owns or co-owns over the past week. Among the properties cited in the notices is his residence on Harish Mukherjee Road in South Kolkata, located near Mamata Banerjee’s home in Kalighat.
Abhishek stated that KMC officials must clarify which parts of the building are deemed illegal. He suggested that those questioning him should first direct their inquiries to KMC officials. He expressed willingness to provide clarification once the KMC specifies the illegally constructed parts of the building.
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