TMC chief alleges “looted mandate” and EC bias; BJP responds, cites constitutional process as Assembly term ends on May 7
West Bengal: Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on May 5 firmly refused to step down after her party’s defeat, stating that the outcome was “not a public mandate but a conspiracy.”
Speaking in Kolkata, she said, “The question of my resignation does not arise… I did not lose,” while alleging that votes in nearly 100 constituencies were “looted” and that counting was intentionally slowed. She also accused the Election Commission of India of bias, calling the situation a “dark chapter” in democratic history.
Banerjee further announced a 10-member fact-finding committee to assess alleged post-poll violence. In addition, she said leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, had reached out to express solidarity. She added that her focus would now shift to strengthening the opposition at the national level.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party strongly criticised her remarks. BJP leader Bimal Shankar Nandi said she “cannot create a stalemate,” pointing out that the Assembly term ends on May 7 and constitutional provisions will take effect thereafter.
On the electoral front, the BJP expanded its lead to 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly after a recount victory in Rajarhat-New Town, where Piyush Kanodia defeated Tapash Chatterjee by 309 votes. The party’s vote share rose to around 45 percent, while the TMC declined to nearly 40.94 percent and about 80 seats.
Also Read: BJP Set to Form Government in West Bengal: Oath Ceremony on May 9
