KOLKATA: An Indian chief minister ousted from power by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in state elections has refused to resign, saying she has “not been defeated” despite a major electoral setback.
The BJP secured a sweeping victory in West Bengal, winning more than two-thirds of the 294 assembly seats, marking a historic breakthrough in a state long governed by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) since 2011.
The TMC’s seat tally reportedly fell sharply to 80 from 215, with Banerjee herself losing her constituency.
Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, Banerjee rejected the result, alleging that around 100 seats were “forcibly taken” and accusing the Election Commission of bias, without providing evidence. “I will not resign. I did not lose,” she said, adding that while the BJP may have won “officially,” her party had achieved a “moral victory.”
West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” while BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee, defended the result as constitutionally valid.
Under Indian law, the state governor may ask the chief minister to resign or allow the term to expire before a new government is formed. Banerjee’s term is set to end on Thursday.
Opposition candidates in India can also challenge election results in court on various legal grounds, though Banerjee did not indicate whether she would pursue such action.
The BJP’s campaign in the state focused on issues including illegal immigration from Bangladesh and concerns over economic performance under the TMC government.