Indian chief minister stands firm and declines to resign following election loss to Modi’s BJP
An Indian chief minister, recently ousted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in state elections, declared on Tuesday that she had “not been defeated” and would not resign, marking an unusual turn in the political landscape.
Modi’s BJP triumphed over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has held power in West Bengal since 2011, capturing over two-thirds of the 294 seats when the votes were counted on Monday.
The BJP has not previously governed West Bengal, a densely populated eastern state adjacent to Bangladesh. Its recent victory is viewed as a significant political achievement, as the party now holds authority over nearly all states in eastern India.
The TMC count decreased to 80 seats from the previous 215, with Banerjee herself losing her position.
Banerjee claimed that the Election Commission, which she deemed “biased,” also posed challenges to her party. She failed to support her accusation with evidence. “I will not resign; I did not lose officially, according to the Election Commission.” They (the BJP) may defeat us, but morally, we won the election,” she stated at a news briefing.
Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, described the allegations as “baseless.” Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, who emerged victorious over Banerjee, stated, “Everything is mentioned in the constitution.”
Banerjee has the option to appeal the result in court.
The Indian constitution grants the state’s governor the authority to request Banerjee’s resignation or to await the conclusion of her term, after which newly elected lawmakers would be inaugurated and the process of establishing a new government would commence.
Banerjee’s term is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
A defeated candidate in an Indian state election is entitled to contest the result in court based on various grounds, such as corrupt practices, improper handling of nominations or votes, candidate disqualification, or violations of election laws that may have influenced the outcome.
Banerjee did not indicate whether she would pursue legal action.
Modi, along with his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as several senior BJP leaders, campaigned for weeks in the state. Their focus was on what they termed illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the struggling local economy under Banerjee.
