The Election Commission (EC) issued a notification for the constitution of a new assembly in West Bengal, following the completion of the electoral process in the state even as Mamata Banerjee refused to step down as chief minister, calling the election results a "loot and conspiracy" following BJP's massive 207 seats victory.
The notification has been sent to the Governor of West Bengal, formally concluding the election process and paving the way for the formation of a new government in the state.
A senior Election Commission official said the issuance of the notification on Tuesday marks an important constitutional step following the declaration of the assembly election results.
“With this, the process of constituting the new assembly in West Bengal is complete from the Commission’s end. It enables the next steps in government formation as per established procedures,” the official said.
He added that the Commission ensured all norms and procedures were strictly followed during the conduct of the elections.
“The entire exercise, from polling to counting, was conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, in accordance with the statutory framework,” he said.
The notification now clears the way for the swearing in of newly elected representatives and the formation of the next government in West Bengal, the official added.
Mamata stands defiant, refusing to resign
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday refused to resign as West Bengal chief minister, triggering a constitutional and political standoff in the state.
Her remarks came a day after the BJP registered a landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats in the 294-member House and ending the Trinamool Congress’s uninterrupted 15-year rule. The TMC was reduced to 80 seats.
Rejecting the outcome, Banerjee described the verdict as “engineered” and claimed her party had been fighting the Election Commission rather than the BJP.
“Why should I step down? We have not lost. The mandate has been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?” she said.
At a packed press conference, Banerjee insisted she would not vacate office, alleging that the defeat was the result of a conspiracy rather than a genuine public mandate. "
.The question of my resignation does not arise, as we were defeated not by a public mandate but by a conspiracy. I did not lose, I will not go to Lok Bhavan,” she asserted.
The 71-year-old leader also alleged large-scale irregularities during the counting process, claiming nearly 100 seats were “looted” and that counting was deliberately slowed to demoralise TMC workers.
“We were not fighting the BJP; we were fighting the Election Commission, which was working for the BJP. I have never seen such an election in my entire political career,” she said.
Banerjee further claimed that she was “kicked, pushed and manhandled” inside a counting centre on Monday, and accused central force personnel of behaving like “goons” outside counting venues.
“A black chapter in history has been created. The Chief Election Commissioner has become the villain,” she added, intensifying her attack on the poll panel.
The BJP sealed a landslide victory with 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, ending the TMC's uninterrupted 15-year rule in the state.
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