Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officials have responded critically to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s assertion that she would not resign following her party’s defeat in the recent state elections. Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission (EC) was colluding with the BJP after the party won a significant majority, securing 207 out of 294 seats.
State BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar stated that Banerjee’s comments were not only misguided but also painted her as a “laughing stock.” He emphasized that she was free to approach the Supreme Court if she believed there were any irregularities in the electoral process. “She is making herself a laughing stock… she is free to approach the Supreme Court over the poll outcome,” Sarkar said.
Sambit Patra, another spokesperson for the BJP, criticized Banerjee’s remarks as an attack on “democracy and the Constitution.” He highlighted that India has a long-standing tradition of peaceful transitions of power, stating, “It is concerning because, in the democracy of India, since Independence, such a situation has never arisen where two parties get entangled in this manner. When a Chief Minister or Prime Minister loses, the party that loses resigns, and the transfer of power has always taken place peacefully.”
Patra further argued that Banerjee’s statements represented a departure from this tradition, describing them as a sign of entitlement and disorder. “This is an attack on democracy; this reflects a sense of entitlement,” he added.
Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency, also commented on her declaration, asserting, “Everything is mentioned in the Constitution. I need not say much.”
Banerjee, for her part, continued to contest the election results, stating emphatically, “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. It’s their attempt to defeat us.” During a press conference in Kolkata, she claimed that while the BJP and the EC might have succeeded in an official sense, she believed her party had won morally.
