After TMC's landslide win, Mamata Banerjee to pick Kolkata Mayor today

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will be present along with Mamata Banerjee to pick the new Mayor at Maharashtra Niwas at 2 pm.

Though outgoing Mayor Firhad Hakim, a TMC strongman, is most likely to be retained, reports also claim there is a second thought on this within the top brass.

As per reports, Abhishek Banerjee wants Hakim to continue either as Mayor or a West Bengal Minister following "one person, one post" policy while the TMC supremo wants to go ahead with his trusted lieutenant.

When Hakim was asked about whether he will continue with his stint, he said on Tuesday, "I cannot decide for myself. Let everyone sit and decide whom they want as Mayor."

Hakim, who won for the fifth time as a councillor candidate, assumed the charge in 2018 after his predecessor Sovan Chatterjee, who was also from the TMC, quit following the top brass' command.

Hakim is credited for tackling cyclone Amphan, COVID-19 crisis besides starting a talk show 'Talk To Mayor' where he used to directly interact with the city dwellers every Saturday.

In the Sunday polls which were marred by sporadic violence, the TMC won 134 out of 144 wards amid the rigging allegations levelled by the all opposition parties.

Surprisingly, the Left, which was routed a few months ago in the assembly polls, pipped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to emerge as the distant but prime challenger to the TMC with around 12 percent votes.

In seatwise, the Left managed to win two, one less than the BJP.