New Delhi: Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim on Friday resigned from the post of mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), citing his “inability to function properly”.He stepped down “with his head held high” after getting the consent of the Trinamool supremo and former West Bengal chief minister. Mamata Banerjee.At a press conference before the resignation, the Kolkata Port MLA reflected on his nearly 7.5-year tenure as mayor, and thanked KMC officials and Kolkata residents for their support during major crises including cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic.“With the cooperation of KMC officials and city citizens, we successfully overcame these challenges,” Hakim told reporters.He said, “I wanted to go with my head held high. I asked permission from my leader and she (Mamata Banerjee) gave me permission.”Recalling his appointment as Mayor of Kolkata in November 2018, Hakim noted his initial uncertainty about matching the legacy of previous civic leaders including Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das.He said, “I never thought that I could become a worthy successor to stalwarts like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, who once held this chair.”A key minority face of the TMC and a key figure in its urban organisation, Hakim’s resignation came amid continuing political unrest within the party following its defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections, which saw it lose power in the state after 15 years.His exit comes at a time when there is organizational tension within Trinamool and a wave of councilors’ resignations in recent weeks, adding to the uncertainty in the party’s civilian structure.The corporation, under TMC control since 2010, remains one of its most important institutional bases.Hakim also created history as the first Muslim mayor of Kolkata after independence.(With PTI inputs)