In a major development, the ruling Trinamool Congress is known to have taken procedural initiatives to amend the civic laws in order to induct a “seasoned, senior, able and experienced” person as the new Mayor of Kolkata, sources said.
The new development comes after sitting Mayor Sovan Chatterjee was asked to quit his Mayoral chair by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Mayor — a key aid of Banerjee for past 30 years — who was also doubling up as Fire and Housing Minister suddenly resigned on Tuesday after being reprimanded by Banerjee for lack of performance.
According to inside sources, the Chief Minister is planning to induct either Firhad Hakim or Arup Biswas two of her trusted ministerial colleagues in Chatterjee’s place.
As the present law does not for a outsider — who is not a councillor — to be appointed as Mayor the State Government is likely to table a new law in State Assembly that will make provisions for non-councillor to be inducted on the post. “Much like the parliamentary law the amended law will provide for the new person to be elected within six months of one’s appointment on the post,” a Trinamool Congress MLA said.
Chatterjee who conceded that he had been asked to tender his resignation by the Chief Minister however did not resign on Wednesday.
“I have been asked to resign by the Chief Minister. Though I have not resigned today I will do so at an appropriate moment,” he said, adding he “still respect Didi as my mother.”
Growing differences between the Mayor and the Chief Minister earlier saw him losing a key organisational post of South 24 Parganas district party president.
The Chief Minister had told him several times about paying more attention to his work and cut down on the time he was spending with a woman who was not his wife. The Mayor, who does not live in his house for close to a year now, has also filed for divorce.
According to sources the Chief Minister had been angry with the Mayor as reports of his extra-marital affairs was bringing the party to disrepute, sources said.