kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata, May 26: The aftermath of the recent Assembly elections setback, the Trinamool Congress has been witnessing a wave of mass resignations by councillors across several municipalities in West Bengal. Against this backdrop, former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held an important meeting on Monday with councillors from four municipalities and one municipal corporation at her Kalighat residence.

The meeting, Mamata sent a strong yet unusual message to the party councillors, saying, “Those who want to leave may go.” She further added that those who remain only during good times but not during difficult phases cannot be considered loyal to the party. Her statement, especially the remark allowing dissatisfied members to leave, has sparked political discussion across the state.

The meeting was attended by mayors, chairpersons, and councillors from Dum Dum, North Dum Dum, South Dum Dum, Baranagar municipalities and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Mamata reportedly urged the remaining members to stay united and fight with determination, expressing confidence that the party would bounce back despite current challenges.

The significant organisational change, Tapas Chatterjee has been given responsibility in place of Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, who had recently resigned from her post as president of the Barasat organisational district. The leadership change comes amid growing internal political pressure and resignations within the party structure.

Mamata also addressed concerns over party workers allegedly facing attacks, assuring that legal assistance would be provided. She announced the formation of a five-member legal support committee including senior leaders such as Moloy Ghatak and Chandrima Bhattacharya to support affected workers.

The Trinamool leader also expressed condolences over the recent death of Sanjay Das, a councillor from Ward 18 of South Dum Dum Municipality, and urged party members to stand by his family during this difficult time. She further encouraged councillors to submit deputations at police stations if they wished to protest ongoing issues in the state, and clarified that those who want to hold protest programmes may do so with prior understanding.

Political observers note that following the electoral setback, the Trinamool Congress is under increasing pressure as instability spreads across municipal bodies. Several civic boards have reportedly weakened due to resignations and internal conflicts, with councillors stepping down from municipalities including Kanchrapara, Halishahar, Bhatpara, Garulia, and North Barrackpore, raising concerns for the ruling party’s local governance structure.