GUWAHATI: A fresh political flashpoint has emerged in West Bengal after Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, May 5, said she will not resign despite her party’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections, even as the focus shifts to government formation following a decisive mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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With the BJP securing a clear majority of 207 seats and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) reduced to 80 seats, Banerjee addressed a press conference where she questioned the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Insisting that they did not lose the election, Banerjee alleged that the verdict was not a genuine public mandate but the outcome of a “conspiracy.” She accused the BJP of undue interference and claimed central forces were used to “forcibly capture” the elections.
The TMC chief further alleged large-scale irregularities, including voter roll manipulation, rigging, violence, and collusion involving the Election Commission of India and central agencies. She also claimed that the mandate in nearly 100 seats had been “looted” and that counting was deliberately slowed to demoralise her party.
Banerjee said the party’s fight was not just against the BJP but also against the Election Commission, adding that the TMC would take action against the poll body, though she did not disclose details.
Thanking leaders of the INDIA bloc for their support, she said the TMC would continue to work with them going forward. She also announced the formation of a 10-member fact-finding committee to visit areas affected by post-poll violence and assess the situation on the ground, while dismissing allegations of violence in 2021 as baseless.