Kolkata, May 5, 2026 — Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign as Chief Minister of West Bengal following a major electoral setback for her party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), asserting that her party has not been defeated.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Banerjee maintained a defiant stance, saying, “We have not lost. Why should I resign?” She also dismissed speculation about stepping down, stating that there was no question of her going to the Raj Bhavan to submit a resignation.
Senior party leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee were present alongside her during the briefing.
Banerjee accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of directly interfering in the West Bengal election, alleging that the central government played an active role in influencing the outcome. She said her party would hold internal discussions and form a fact-finding committee to investigate the election results.
The TMC chief also launched sharp criticism against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, calling him the “villain” of the election. She questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs), asking how they could retain 80–90 percent battery charge after voting had concluded.
Additionally, Banerjee alleged that TMC workers were targeted and arrested in the days leading up to the election, claiming that law enforcement agencies conducted widespread raids to suppress her party’s activities.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured a decisive victory in the state, has appointed Amit Shah as the central observer to oversee the selection of its legislative party leader in West Bengal. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will serve as co-observer.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya announced that the new BJP-led government is expected to take oath on May 9, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
The development marks a dramatic political shift in West Bengal after 15 years of TMC rule, with Banerjee’s refusal to concede defeat likely to intensify political tensions in the coming days.
