Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 7: Paving the way for the formation of a BJP government in West Bengal, the Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dissolved the State Assembly even as the leader of the defeated Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee refused to formally resign as the chief minister citing “large scale irregularities” in conducting the elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The term of the assembly was due to expire post-midnight on Thursday. In the evening, the Raj Bhavan made public a letter issued on Wednesday “for general information.” The single-line communication read: “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 Constitution, the assembly dissolves after its five-year term is over and the outgoing Council of Ministers can continue in a caretaker capacity till the new government takes the oath of office. But in this case, with the huge row over the results of the assembly election in Bengal and Banerjee’s subsequent declaration that she would not quit, many have questioned why she should be allowed to continue in a caretaker capacity. Leaders of the BJP have called for her outright dismissal.
Her refusal to resign – unprecedented in the country’s electoral history — has also sparked much confusion about her status. While according to the Constitution, Banerjee can technically be dismissed – at least till the election certification is complete — its execution depends on the Governor. After the election certification is issued by the Election Commission, a Chief Minister can no longer occupy office unless it is in a caretaker capacity.
The BJP, which won a massive mandate in the State’s recently concluded assembly election, is expected to have its cabinet take oath on Saturday, which would, in normal circumstances, keep a caretaker government in charge for two more days. On Tuesday evening — a day after her party’s crushing defeat in the state assembly elections — Banerjee had argued that she had not lost the election and the mandate the BJP got was the result of “loot.”
“Why should I step down? We have not lost. The mandate has been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?” she said, doubling down on her refusal to vacate the office. “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 at a packed press conference, her tone oscillating between grievance and combativeness. Banerjee alleged large-scale irregularities in counting, claiming nearly 100 seats were “looted” and that the pace of counting was deliberately slowed to sap her party’s morale.
“I have not lost, so I will not go to Raj Bhavan. I will not tender resignation,” she had told reporters at a press conference. It sparked a massive political divide, with the Opposition bloc rallying around her and various leaders of the BJP seeking for her dismissal — a call that only the Governor can take. Earlier today, the Trinamool Congress announced that it would go to court to challenge the results of the assembly election that ended its three terms in power.
The dissolution marks the formal completion of the tenure of the outgoing assembly, following the recently concluded two-phase elections. The notification from the Governor’s Office was published in an extraordinary issue of the official gazette by the Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of West Bengal, for general information.
The dissolution of the assembly comes after the declaration of results in the 2026 Assembly elections, in which the BJP secured a decisive mandate, winning 207 seats in the 294-member House — well above the majority mark of 148.
The dissolution of the outgoing Assembly followed after the ECI issued a notification for the constitution of a new assembly in West Bengal, following the completion of the electoral process in the state.
The notification was sent to the Governor 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 marked 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.