West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to step down after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party scored a major election victory in the state, ending the Trinamool Congress government’s long hold on power. According to Reuters, the BJP secured more than two thirds of the 294 assembly seats after votes were counted, marking a major political breakthrough in a state it had never previously governed.
Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress had governed West Bengal since 2011, rejected the result and claimed her party had not truly been defeated. She alleged that around 100 seats were unfairly taken from the TMC and accused the Election Commission of bias, though she did not provide evidence to support the claim.
The Election Commission rejected the allegations, with West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal describing them as baseless. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee in her own seat, said the matter should be handled according to the Indian Constitution.
The result represents one of the BJP’s most significant regional victories, giving the party control of a key eastern state bordering Bangladesh. During the campaign, Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and senior BJP figures focused heavily on illegal immigration concerns, economic weakness, and criticism of Banerjee’s administration.
Under constitutional procedure, the state governor may ask Banerjee to resign or wait until her term ends, after which newly elected legislators can be sworn in and the process of forming a new government can begin. Banerjee’s term is scheduled to end Thursday.
Banerjee also has the option of challenging the election result in court. Indian election law allows defeated candidates to appeal on grounds such as corrupt practices, improper handling of votes or nominations, candidate disqualification, or violations of election rules that may have affected the outcome. However, Banerjee has not confirmed whether she plans to pursue legal action.
