NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for stating that she would not resign despite her party’s defeat, describing her position as “anarchic” and contrary to India’s democratic traditions.
The party labelled her refusal as “constitutional blasphemy” and accused her of undermining the principle of peaceful transfer of power.
At a press conference in Kolkata a day after the BJP secured a majority in the state, Banerjee alleged widespread irregularities during the counting process. She claimed results in nearly 100 constituencies were “manipulated” and said delays in counting were intended to weaken her party’s morale.
She maintained that resignation was not necessary, arguing that the outcome was not the result of a fair public mandate but of a “conspiracy”. She added that she would not go to Raj Bhavan and insisted that any action taken should follow constitutional procedures.
Responding to her remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said her stance was “deeply concerning”, stressing that India’s democracy is built on the peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
He said that across India’s electoral history, leaders have respected established conventions after defeat, citing recent examples from other states where chief ministers submitted their resignations following election results.
Patra added that no individual is indispensable in a democracy and that the will of the people must prevail. He accused Banerjee of exhibiting a “sense of entitlement” and said her remarks reflected “an attitude of anarchy”.
He further criticised the opposition INDIA bloc, calling it an incoherent alliance formed for appearances rather than shared principles.
Referring to constitutional provisions, Patra said the process of government formation is clearly defined and does not depend on individual declarations. He emphasised that once the Assembly’s term ends, the Governor acts according to constitutional norms to invite the majority party to form the government.
Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, also attacked Banerjee’s remarks, accusing her of undermining constitutional principles and comparing her stance to attempts to disrupt peaceful transfers of power.
He said her comments amounted to rejecting the democratic mandate and described them as “anti-Constitution” and “anti-Ambedkar”, while alleging she was refusing to accept electoral defeat.
Poonawalla added that regardless of her position, constitutional processes would proceed as scheduled, with the Assembly due for dissolution soon, and said her statements reflected disregard for democratic norms.
(With inputs from PTI)