West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday ruled out any crisis in the government following the resignation of cabinet minister and Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee.
Chatterjee, a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, resigned from the post of Kolkata mayor as directed by Banerjee. He had quit as the housing and the fire services ministers on Tuesday.
"There is no crisis at all. One can always resign and there are provisions. There is no misunderstanding either. Someone can have personal problems," Banerjee said while speaking during the discussion on Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill 2018.
Banerjee was replying to a question by BJP MLA Dilip Ghosh on the necessity of bringing in the amendment bill.
The amendment would enable a person, who is not an elected councillor, to be made the mayor of a corporation, but he or she would have to be elected within six months to continue in the post.
"Even in your party M J Akbar had resigned (from the post of minister of state for external affairs). In our party, all the 122 councillors of KMC have the capability of taking up the post of Mayor," she said.
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"Why Amit Shah is your party president? Is there no other capable person in your party," she said.
Stating that the person who will be next mayor was a councillor previously and is currently a public representative, Banerjee said the final call will be taken by the party.
On the Bill, the chief minister said provisions are there in Parliament and assemblies to enable an unelected person to become a minister.
"We have decided to bring the same provision in the KMC. It will be extended to other municipalities and panchayats too," she said.
After Sovan Chatterjee resigned as cabinet ministers on Tuesday evening, the chief minister sought his resignation from the post of mayor as well.