Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign following her party’s defeat in the assembly elections, claiming the results do not reflect a genuine public mandate. The All India Trinamool Congress chief alleged that the outcome was the result of a “conspiracy” rather than voter sentiment, and insisted she had not truly lost. She stated that there was no question of stepping down and said any further action could be taken as per constitutional norms.

Banerjee directly targeted the Election Commission of India, accusing it of acting in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She alleged large-scale irregularities during the counting process, claiming that results in nearly 100 seats were manipulated and that counting was deliberately slowed to demoralize her party. Calling the situation a “black chapter,” she also announced the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate alleged post-poll violence and assess ground conditions.

Meanwhile, the BJP has consolidated a historic victory in the state, crossing the 200-seat mark in the 294-member assembly and ending the TMC’s 15-year rule. The results mark a dramatic political shift, with the BJP significantly increasing its vote share and seat count, while the TMC saw a sharp decline. Despite the scale of the defeat, Banerjee indicated she will now focus on strengthening the opposition at the national level, with support reportedly coming from leaders within the INDIA bloc.