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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nisith Pramanik on Wednesday criticised Mamata Banerjee for refusing to resign after her party's electoral defeat, accusing her of being "greedy for power" and claiming that she had "bankrupted Bengal" over the past 15 years.
Pramanik also said that people in Bengal want Banerjee to step down, but she is unwilling to accept the mandate. Spekaing to ANI, Pramanik said, "Mamata Didi is greedy for power. The more I think about it, the more heartbroken I feel. In the last 15 years, they have bankrupted Bengal. The people are saying, 'Didi, leave from here,' but they are not ready to go..." Meanwhile, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh questioned Banerjee's stance on the electoral verdict and institutions. "If the Election Commission and EVMs appointed Mamata Banerjee, then the Election Commission and EVMs are fine. But if you lost, then both the EVMs and the Election Commission are wrong? The people's decision is final, and accepting it is democracy. Instead, Mamata Banerjee, driven by arrogance, is behaving like a dictator," he told ANI. Union Minister Giriraj Singh too joined the chorus, accusing Banerjee of disrespecting the Constitution throughout her tenure. "People are laughing at her. She never respected the Constitution during her tenure. She wanted to turn Bengal into Bangladesh, but the people defeated her... If she doesn't step down, the Constitution will remove her. The Governor has the power to remove her, and when he does, there will be even more humiliation," Singh said. BJP MP Sambit Patra said Banerjee's refusal to step down was unprecedented in Indian democracy. "Mamata Banerjee yesterday said that I will not resign... Has this ever happened in India's democracy?... MK Stalin submitted his resignation yesterday. Pinarayi Vijayan submitted his resignation the day before yesterday... This is an insult to democracy and India's constitution," Patra said. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also criticised Banerjee's stance, stating that refusal to resign goes against democratic conventions. "Didi can't digest the defeat. In 2021, when she won, there was no issue with EVMs... She's stuck in stubbornness and won't leave her post; this is unconstitutional. The Election Commission will first issue the gazette, and the gazette notification will go to the Governor; then she will have to resign. So why are you doing all this? What you are doing is unconstitutional," she told ANI. The remarks come after Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP of "looting" the democratic process, despite the electoral outcome indicating a decisive mandate against her party. "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," Banerjee had said. West Bengal has witnessed heightened political activity and a constitutional face-off following the BJP's landmark victory in the Assembly elections, marking a significant shift in the state's political dynamics. Despite mounting pressure, outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to step down, rejecting calls for her resignation after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered a major electoral setback. 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. The outcome marks a historic moment for the BJP, which is set to form its first government in West Bengal. The party's performance also contributed to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registering a hat-trick of victories in Assam, further strengthening its position in the region. (ANI)
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