The West Bengal Legislative Assembly was dissolved on Thursday by Governor R. N. Ravi under Article 174 of the Constitution, bringing an abrupt end to Mamata Banerjee’s tenure as Chief Minister amid a deepening political and constitutional confrontation in the state.
“I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal with effect from 7th May, 2026,” the Governor said in an official notification, invoking Clause (2) of Article 174.
The move comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a landslide victory in the 294-member Assembly, winning 207 seats and ending the All India Trinamool Congress’s uninterrupted 15-year rule in the state. The TMC was reduced to 80 seats.
Despite the outcome, Banerjee had refused to resign, alleging large-scale electoral irregularities and claiming the verdict was “not a people’s mandate but a conspiracy”.
Also read: Mamata intends to challenge Bengal election mandate of May 4
“Why should I step down? We have not lost. The mandate has been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?” she said earlier, rejecting calls to vacate office.
“The question of my resignation does not arise, as we were defeated not by a public mandate but by a conspiracy…I did not lose,” she asserted, accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP and alleging tampering of electronic voting machines.
Banerjee also claimed that nearly 100 seats were “looted” and alleged that the counting process was deliberately slowed to demoralise her party.
Her refusal to step down had triggered a constitutional grey area, as the incumbent Chief Minister remained in office despite the clear electoral verdict in favour of the opposition alliance led by the BJP.
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