West Bengal Government Formation LIVE: CM Suspense Continues Amid Mamata Banerjee's Refusal to Resign; Oath-Taking Soon

In a dramatic turn of events following the West Bengal assembly elections, incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared she will not resign, despite her Trinamool Congress party's significant loss to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Banerjee asserted that she had not lost and alleged a "forceful attempt" to defeat her party, signaling a defiant stance against the election outcome.

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If we have not lost the election then why should I go to Raj Bhavan? I am not taking oath. And, why do I have to resign? We didn’t lose. It is their forceful attempt to defeat us. Our fight was not against BIP but against the EC.

The BJP has achieved a landmark victory, securing 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, marking its first time forming a government in West Bengal. This win is historic, making Prime Minister Narendra Modi the first sitting Prime Minister to see his party win West Bengal since Jawaharlal Nehru. The party is preparing for the oath-taking ceremony of its new Chief Minister on May 9, a date chosen for its significance as the birth anniversary of the revered poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Amidst the political upheaval, allegations of irregularities have surfaced. Trinamool Congress has shared a video purportedly showing a bulldozer demolishing a shop in Kolkata's New Market area, accusing BJP supporters of vandalism. Meanwhile, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has echoed sentiments of unfair play, claiming that several BJP MPs won through 'vote theft' and labeling them 'infiltrators,' lending support to Banerjee's claims.

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The Prime Minister has already announced the day, Pochishe Boisakh, May 9. It is the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore. It will be held on that day. It was our old commitment that we would run the government from the Writers’ Buildings.

The BJP has appointed Home Minister Amit Shah as the central observer for the selection of the new Chief Minister, with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as co-observer. While the BJP celebrates its historic win, the refusal of Mamata Banerjee to step down and the ongoing political tensions highlight a deeply contested electoral landscape in West Bengal. The narrative from Kolkata, as reported by Hindustan Times, reflects a state grappling with a significant political shift and the ensuing contestation of the results.

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Seats are sometimes won through vote theft and they are infiltrators.