India, June 5 -- Recently, Firhad Hakim, popularly known as Bobby Hakim, resigned from the post of Mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Before taking this decision, he sought permission from former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. Mamata Banerjee reportedly gave her consent reluctantly, but the resignation has nevertheless created a major ripple within the Trinamool Congress.

What has made the development even more politically significant is its timing. Bobby Hakim took this decision shortly after attending the administrative meeting convened by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Around the same time, several Trinamool MLAs and senior leaders were either openly expressing dissent or quietly distancing ...