Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors will no longer be allowed to serve as presidents of their respective wards, as the ruling party has reportedly introduced this rule across municipal areas, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), as part of its organisational restructuring ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Party sources said the move is aimed at decentralising power by separating elected representatives’ civic responsibilities from party control at the grassroots. “It prevents both administrative and organisational powers from concentrating in the same person and helps widen leadership,” a source explained.
State party president Subrata Bakshi is learnt to have called meetings next week with the North and South Kolkata district units at his office. MLAs from the districts have also been invited to share their views on appointing new ward presidents. The party’s internal survey report is ready and will be used to guide the restructuring exercise.
The policy will be enforced most stringently in the KMC areas, sources added. However, doubts remain about whether the spirit of the rule could be undermined if councillors’ spouses or close relatives are named ward presidents. To counter this possibility, the party is considering appointing senior and experienced local leaders who are unconnected to the councillors’ families. Bakshi has already conveyed this instruction to district leaders in writing.
The organisational shake-up comes as part of a larger effort by the Trinamool to prepare thoroughly for the Assembly elections. Over recent weeks, the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has reviewed district units one by one, pressing for changes at every level. Earlier this month, six districts underwent leadership changes at the town and block levels. Youth, women and labour wings were also handed over to fresh faces, with the appointments officially announced on social media on Saturday. The focus now firmly shifts to Kolkata’s wards, where councillors and MLAs will meet Bakshi next week for decisive consultations.