TMC might change heads of municipalities where BJP’s performance was better in LS polls

Kolkata, Nov 8
A number of Trinamool Congress-controlled urban civic bodies in West Bengal might witness changes in their top-most positions in the coming days following an impending organisational reshuffle in the ruling party in the state. Party insiders said that the Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has already given some suggestions to the party supremo and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggesting a change of heads in a number of municipalities in the state, especially for those where BJP’s performance was much better than the state’s ruling party in the Lok Sabha polls this year.

Going by that logic, party insiders added that changes in the heads of at least 69 municipalities in the state are inevitable since in those urban civic bodies, BJP was ahead of Trinamool Congress in terms of votes secured this year. However, insiders said that the proposed reshuffle might be incorporated in some more municipalities as well although Trinamool Congress’s performance was better there in the polls this year.

However, considering the importance of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), it might not come within the proposed reshuffle although BJP was ahead of Trinamool Congress in terms of votes this year in 48 out of 144 wards under the corporation.

Since Trinamool Congress candidates finally got elected from both the Lok Sabha constituencies in Kolkata, namely, Kolkata-Dakshin and Kolkata-Uttar, KMC might not come under the purview of the possible rejig.

At the same time, party insiders added that since the Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim is one of the most dependable and trusted lieutenants of Mamata Banerjee, the possibility of Hakim’s name being included in the reshuffle is remote.

It is learnt that the party’s General Secretary is in favour of a performance-based reshuffle in the party in view of the state Assembly elections in 2026.