"Feeling suffocated": Tarak Singh resigns as Municipal Councilor

Tarak Singh, a member of the Mayor-in-Council at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, has resigned from his position amid growing signs of dissent within the Trinamool Congress. His resignation follows a series of public remarks critical of the party leadership and comes after he skipped a meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence.

Speculation regarding Singh’s future had intensified in recent weeks after he repeatedly questioned the functioning of the civic administration and the party leadership. Explaining his absence from the Kalighat meeting, Singh stated that the Mayor-in-Council was not functioning effectively and questioned the purpose of attending such meetings. He also expressed concerns about the party’s response to issues faced by its workers and supporters.

In several public statements, Singh criticised the leadership for what he described as a lack of support for party workers. He said there was little value in attending meetings if leaders were unable to stand beside workers during difficult situations. He further stated that he was not concerned about disciplinary action and remarked that the leadership could remove him from the party if it chose to do so.

After submitting his resignation, Singh also criticised Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim. At the same time, he stated that he would continue working on issues related to drainage and waterlogging in Kolkata. Singh has been associated with the Trinamool Congress since its formation, has served as a councillor for nearly two decades, and has held the Mayor-in-Council position for the past 16 years. Following the Assembly election results, he had publicly stated that his criticism was directed at both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.