West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ruled out resignation despite a heavy electoral defeat in the state assembly polls, asserting that her party did not truly lose the mandate.
Speaking a day after the results, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission of India engaged in what she described as “nasty games” against her party during the election process, according to NDTV.
The results have brought a significant political shift in West Bengal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set to form its first government in the state on 9 May after securing 207 of the 294 assembly seats.
The ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) won only 80 seats, ending its long-standing dominance.
In another major setback, Mamata Banerjee lost her traditional stronghold seat of Bhabanipur to Suvendu Adhikari, a former close aide who has since joined the BJP and serves as Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing assembly.
The chief minister, who has been in office since 2011, alleged widespread “seat manipulation” and irregularities in the electoral process.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the outcome, stating that West Bengal had been “freed from fear” and would now move towards development and progress.
The election was the first held after the controversial deletion of around nine million voters in West Bengal under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
