Minister Firhad “Bobby” Hakim was on Thursday chosen to succeed Sovan Chatterjee as mayor of Calcutta after his name was proposed and accepted unanimously at a meeting of Trinamul Congress councillors in the presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Hakim, who isn’t a councillor, would need to be elected to the civic body within six months in accordance with an amendment to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980, that was passed by the Assembly earlier in the day.

Prior to the amendment, only a councillor could become mayor.

A notification issued in the evening said the 144-member CMC council would assemble on December 3 to appoint the new mayor. The other formality would be Hakim naming Atin Ghosh, whom the Trinamul councillors have already nominated as their deputy leader, to replace the ailing Iqbal Ahmed as deputy mayor.

Trinamul has 122 councillors in the council.

“You have picked Bobby (Hakim) as your leader in a transparent and democratic manner. Now, take care of the formalities of calling the House in 7-10 days to elect the mayor, who will then nominate the deputy mayor,” chief minister Mamata said during the meeting at Uttirna, an auditorium in Alipore.

(From left) Mayoral council member (health) Atin Ghosh, mayor designate and urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Calcutta Municipal Corporation chairperson Mala Roy after the meeting of councillors at Uttirna in Alipore on Thursday. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Sovan Chatterjee, the outgoing mayor, said during a news conference outside his Golpark residence that he wasn’t invited to Uttirna. “Those who invited the other councillors can explain why I wasn’t. I have heard Firhad Hakim is going to be the mayor. My best wishes to him and. I am ready to co-operate with him, if required.”

The councillors’ conclave where Hakim was selected capped three days of political drama that had started with Chatterjee’s resignation as minister of environment, housing and fire services.

Sovan stepped down as mayor on Thursday under Mamata’s instructions, sending his resignation through a messenger to Mala Roy, the chairperson of the municipal corporation.

Before the gathering at Uttirna, the chief minister was in a meeting with Hakim, the minister of urban development and municipal affairs, and Ghosh, the councillor of Ward 11 and mayoral council member in charge of health care.

While backing Hakim to be the next mayor, Mamata stressed the need for experience and extensive knowledge of how the civic body functions.

Hakim had been the councillor of Ward 82 (Chetla) from 2000 till 2015 and the chairman of Borough IX for five years. He was also the mayoral council member in charge of roads and engineering before he became a minister in 2011.

“Bobby khub bhalo kaaj kore (Bobby is an excellent performer). And he has been doing it consistently for years,” Mamata told Metro.

While debating the amendment that paved the way for Hakim to become mayor designate, the chief minister had said in the Assembly that her government had been contemplating this for all municipalities and rural bodies.