Governor RN Ravi has formally dissolved the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, effectively ending Mamata Banerjee’s tenure as Chief Minister of the state. The move, implemented under Clause 2 of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, was announced in an official notification issued on Thursday.
“I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal with effect from 7th May, 2026,” the Governor stated in the notice. The dissolution comes amid a political standoff after Mamata Banerjee refused to step down following the BJP’s victory in the state.
Banerjee has alleged irregularities in the recent state elections. She claimed that the BJP’s decisive performance in West Bengal was a result of vote manipulation and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Banerjee further accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to unseat her government, calling the saffron party’s victory “immoral.”
BJP sources cited by news agency ANI have said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to reach Kolkata later today, and a meeting of newly-elected party MLAs is likely to be held tomorrow to elect the legislative party leader.
Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a meeting of newly-elected MLAs of her party and stated she will not resign from her post in the wake of assembly poll results and the Centre can dismiss her, Trinamool Congress sources said on Wednesday.
They said Mamata Banerjee stated that party candidates "were forcefully defeated" in the polls and alleged that over 1500 Trinamool Congress offices "were hijacked".
She also said that there is greater unity in the INDIA bloc after the Bengal poll results.
She alleged that the state did not witness an election "but an atrocity" and claimed that Trinamool Congress had "morally" defeated BJP in the polls.
The Trinamool Congress leader said she will continue her fight. "After the Bengal INDIA team is united now. I won't resign. Let them dismiss me. I want this to be a black day. We have to be strong. On the first day of the Assembly, wear black clothes. Those who betrayed will be removed from the party. I am laughing. I defeated them morally. I am a free bird. I worked for all. We might have lost, but we will fight. HM and PM are directly involved," Mamata Banerjee said, according to Trinamool Congress sources.
"Those who lost were forcefully defeated. I condemn West Bengal Police, CRPF, BJP-minded Chief Electoral Officer and ECI. More than 1500 party offices were hijacked. I was heckled and pushed. I was having chest pain. This was not an election but an atrocity," she said, according to AITC sources.
Mamata Banerjee's refusal to step down had created an unprecedented situation and a kind of constitutional crisis in the state.
(With inputs from ANI)
