KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress minister and mayor Sovan Chatterjee’s growing distance with his mentor and CM Mamata Banerjee culminated in his resignation from the state cabinet on Tuesday. Following his resignation as housing and fire services minister, the CM asked Chatterjee to put in his papers as Kolkata mayor too.State urban development minister, Firhad Hakim, will oversee the two departments that remained with Chatterjee after he lost the environment portfolio in a cabinet shuffle five months ago.The CM after accepting Chatterjee’s resignation said: “His resignation has been accepted and sent to the governor. He had put in his papers four to five times earlier also. But I didn’t accept it. Now it has been accepted. The departments under him will now go to Firhad Hakim.”Sources close to Chatterjee said he is likely to give up the mayor’s post on Wednesday, fuelling a fresh speculation over the next mayor. As of now, municipal commissioner Khalil Ahmed will take care of the corporation’s affairs.Minister and former mayor Subrata Mukherjee, urban development minister Hakim and public works minister Arup Biswas are said to be among the frontrunners. However, the Trinamool chief is keeping the cards close to her chest.“The mayor has to be an elected person. We will take a call day after tomorrow,” the CM said. Trinamool insiders speculated the post may go to one of the ministers, who could then be fielded in the bypolls already announced for KMC ward no. 117 following the death of independent councillor Sailen Dasgupta. However, party bosses scotched the speculation in a late development by nominating young social worker Amit Singh as its nominee from ward 117.Sovan resigns from state cabinet, CM tells him to quit as mayor tooFirhad Given Charge of Fire, Housing DeptsTIMES NEWS NETWORKKolkata:Trinamool Congress minister and mayor Sovan Chatterjee’s growing distance with his mentor and CM Mamata Banerjee culminated in his resignation from the state cabinet on Tuesday. Following his resignation as housing and fire services minister, the CM asked Chatterjee to put in his papers as Kolkata mayor too.State urban development minister, Firhad Hakim, will oversee the two departments that remained with Chatterjee after he lost the environment portfolio in a cabinet shuffle five months ago.The CM after accepting Chatterjee’s resignation said: “His resignation has been accepted and sent to the governor. He had put in his papers four to five times earlier also. But I didn’t accept it. Now it has been accepted. The departments under him will now go to Firhad Hakim.”Sources close to Chatterjee said he is likely to give up the mayor’s post on Wednesday, fuelling a fresh speculation over the next mayor. As of now, municipal commissioner Khalil Ahmed will take care of the corporation’s affairs.Minister and former mayor Subrata Mukherjee, urban development minister Hakim and public works minister Arup Biswas are said to be among the frontrunners. However, the Trinamool chief is keeping the cards close to her chest.“The mayor has to be an elected person. We will take a call day after tomorrow,” the CM said. Trinamool insiders speculated the post may go to one of the ministers, who could then be fielded in the bypolls already announced for KMC ward no. 117 following the death of independent councillor Sailen Dasgupta. However, party bosses scotched the speculation in a late development by nominating young social worker Amit Singh as its nominee from ward 117.

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