In an unprecedented scene at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Trinamool Congress councillors were allegedly unable to enter the municipal assembly hall on Friday after finding the chamber “locked,” forcing them to conduct the monthly session outside the House.
The session was eventually held inside the councillors’ club room after repeated requests to open the chamber reportedly went unanswered. KMC Chairperson and TMC MP Mala Roy, along with Mayor Firhad Hakim, attended the makeshift session alongside councillors and civic officials.
Speaking briefly before the meeting began, Roy said, “We had asked for the lock to be opened… but it has still not been opened.” She added that the councillors had therefore “decided to conduct the session here instead.”
According to reports, the alternative venue lacked proper seating arrangements and even microphones. Councillors were seen rearranging tables and chairs themselves to create a functioning assembly setup before proceedings began. Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh reportedly addressed the gathering without a sound system.
Senior TMC leader and councillor Arup Chakraborty described the development as “unprecedented,” alleging that attempts were being made to “disrupt the functioning” of the civic body despite the corporation remaining legally valid until December. “Work related to public services is carried out in these sessions. This has never happened before,” he said.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal following the 2026 Assembly elections, in which the BJP secured a sweeping victory in the state while Kolkata’s civic body remained under Trinamool control. Reports suggest growing administrative friction and political uncertainty inside civic institutions after the electoral setback suffered by the ruling party in the city.
While TMC leaders hinted at political interference behind the incident, the BJP had not issued any official response at the time of publication.
