'Throne is for two days': Dilip Ghosh slams Mamata's refusal to resign

BJP's Dilip Ghosh slammed CM Mamata Banerjee for refusing to resign after TMC's defeat in West Bengal. Despite the BJP's 207-seat victory, a defiant Mamata alleged EVM tampering and called herself the moral winner, creating a political standoff.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, on Tuesday, criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her refusal to step down following the state assembly election results. Talking to the reporters, BJP's victorious candidate from Kharagpur, Dilip Ghosh, said, "One day you have to leave the world, so the throne is just for two days. They shouldn't remain under the illusion that this is their ancestral property. The people gave them 15 years, but they did nothing except corruption and violence..."

On Tuesday, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya invoked the Constitution and criticised outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's refusal to resign from her post, following the TMC's defeat in the State Legislative Assembly elections. Bhattacharya told ANI, "There is a constitutional system in place. So, I do not want to say anything. There are provisions in the Constitution; everything is in there. The Constitution is supreme. Whatever will happen, it will be within the framework of the Constitution."

Political Standoff After BJP's Landmark Victory

Meanwhile, West Bengal has been thrust into a constitutional and political standoff following the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) landmark victory in the state assembly elections. Outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sparked a firestorm by firmly rejecting calls for her resignation, despite the BJP securing a commanding two-thirds majority. The election results, which saw the BJP surge to 207 seats and relegate the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to just 80, mark a seismic shift in Bengal's political landscape. However, the transition of power appears far from seamless.

'I Will Not Resign': Defiant Mamata Alleges Foul Play

Addressing the media on Tuesday, a defiant Banerjee accused the Election Commission (EC) and the BJP of "looting" the democratic process. Despite the numbers, she insisted that her party remains the moral victor. "I will not resign. I did not lose. I will not go to Raj Bhavan... the question doesn't arise. We didn't lose the election. They can defeat us officially through the Election Commission, but morally we won the election," Mamata Banerjee asserted.

The TMC chief labelled the Chief Election Commissioner the "villain" of the election, claiming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered with and citing suspicious 80-90% battery charges.

Banerjee accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of playing a key role in the "manipulation" of the election process. "Sad to say, the CEC became the villain of this election to loot the democratic rights of the people and to loot the EVM," she said, referencing her belief that the election results were tampered with.

Pivots to National Politics, Alleges Physical Assault

However, in a seemingly contradictory turn, Banerjee later referred to herself as a "free bird" and a "commoner" who no longer holds a "chair," signalling her intent to pivot toward strengthening the INDIA Alliance on a national level.

Banerjee also alleged she was "manhandled and kicked in the belly" during the counting process, claiming CCTV cameras were intentionally disabled while her agents were assaulted.

Banerjee emphasised that her focus now is to continue strengthening the INDIA alliance and ensure that her party remains an influential force despite the electoral setback.

BJP Prepares to Form Government

BJP won a spectacular 207 seats in the assembly polls, ending TMC's 15-year rule. The party is making preparations for the oath-taking ceremony of its first government in West Bengal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)