Firhad Hakim (file photo)

New Delhi: Another big shock Trinamool Congress (TMC), its senior leader Firhad Hakim on Wednesday resigned from the post of Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), a post he held since November 2018.This was announced by party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.“Firhad Hakim requested our supremo Mamata Banerjee That he wants to resign. He wants an honorable exit because the state government is defunct the corporation,” he told reporters in Kolkata.“Till now, Mamata Banerjee had not given permission. However, after today’s administrative meeting at Nabanna, it became clear that the corporation has been effectively deactivated. In view of this situation, and to ensure that his dignity and stature remain intact, Mamata Banerjee has today allowed him to resign,” Ghosh said.Hakeem, also known as “Bobby”, is a close aide of Mamata Banerjee. He is a four-time MLA from Kolkata Port Assembly constituency, the capital of West Bengal.The development came on a day when the Trinamool came close to a split after the Assembly Speaker recognized TMC rebel faction Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the opposition. Following its defeat in the recent assembly elections, in which the party lost power after 15 years, it had appointed veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of the opposition. However, the move was opposed by the rebel faction, which alleged that the documents submitted in support of Chattopadhyay’s appointment had forged his signature.The rebel group reportedly includes 59 of the 80 TMC MLAs.In the West Bengal Assembly elections held on 23 and 29 April, the BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member House to form its first government in the state.