Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s top aide has resigned from the post of Kolkata Mayor.
Chatterjee’s resignation was confirmed by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Chairperson Mala Roy at a press conference on Thursday. Roy said that, “It is true that I have received his resignation letter through his guard. We will decide the next course of action in the party meeting in the evening.”
There were rumours that state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Mayor in Council (MMiC), Health, Atin Ghosh will be next Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively.
However, the official announcement is expected after the TMC meeting in the evening.
On November 20, Sovan resigned as Minister for Fire and Emergency Services and Housing over alleged differences with Mamata.
This is not for the first time that Sovan has resigned, but every time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked him to concentrate on work and refused to accept his resignation. But two days ago, he once again sent his resignation letter to Mamata, which was accepted and forwarded to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.
It was learnt that Mamata — for the last one year — was unhappy with Sovan’s lack of interest in day to day administrative/civic responsibilities due to his legal battle for divorce with his wife Ratna. Recently, during an event organised by the Fire Department Mamata came down heavily on Sovan in Kolkata.
During a Q&A session in the Assembly, CPI (M) MLA Khagen Murmu asked Sovan to share information on how many people were given houses under the state government schemes. Sovan said that nearly 25 lakh people were given houses. At this point, Mamata, who was sitting behind Sovan, corrected him by saying that nearly 40 lakh people got houses.
Sovan Chatterjee was interrogated couple of times by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Narada tapes scam. Sovan was allegedly shown in the Narada tapes accepting money from a businessman and then wrapping it up with a towel.
The tapes purportedly showed CEO of Narada News, Matthew Samuels offering money to the leaders while posing to be a businessman.
Sovan and his estranged wife Ratna Chatterjee have been fighting a divorce battle. Over the last one year Sovan has been staying alone in his Golpark flat ‘Fort Legend’.
Earlier, in June 2018, Sovan Chatteerjee - whose proposed development plans in the East Kolkata Wetlands was criticised by the environmentalists – was removed from the post of Environment ministry by Mamata Banerjee. There were also allegations that Chatterjee was not taking his responsibilities seriously, either as a mayor or as a minister.
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