Bengal Assembly dissolved after Mamata refuses to resign

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to resign following her party was defeated in the recent assembly election.

West Bengal Governor RN Ravi has dissolved the state legislative assembly after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to resign following her party’s defeat in the recent assembly election.

The term of the assembly expired at 12am on Thursday. Later in the evening, Raj Bhavan released a letter issued on Wednesday announcing the dissolution order “for general information”.

The one-line communication stated: “In exercise of the power conferred on me by sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal with effect from 07th of May 2026.”

Under Article 172 of the Indian Constitution, a state assembly automatically dissolves after completion of its five-year term, while the outgoing Council of Ministers may continue in a caretaker role until a new government is sworn in.

However, the situation in West Bengal has triggered controversy after Banerjee declared she would not resign despite the election outcome. The move has raised questions over whether she should continue even in a caretaker capacity, with leaders of the [Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)](https://www.bjp.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com) demanding her immediate dismissal.

Banerjee’s refusal to resign, described as unprecedented in India’s electoral history, has also created confusion regarding her constitutional status.

According to constitutional provisions, the chief minister can technically be dismissed until the Election Commission completes certification of the election results. Once certification is issued, a chief minister cannot continue in office except in a caretaker role.

The BJP, which secured a sweeping mandate in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly election, is expected to swear in its new cabinet on Saturday. Under normal circumstances, the caretaker government would have remained in charge until then.

On Tuesday evening, a day after her party’s heavy defeat in the polls, Banerjee claimed she had not actually lost the election and alleged that the BJP’s mandate was the result of “loot”.

“I have not lost, so I will not go to Raj Bhavan. I will not tender resignation,” she told reporters at a press conference.

Source: NDTV