Mamata Banerjee refuses to resign as CM, says ‘TMC did not lose’ - What happens next?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign following the Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections and a sweeping Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory. Banerjee not only lost the state but also her Bhabanipur seat to Suvendu Adhikari, her former aide and now Leader of the Opposition (LoP)—in a repeat of 2021, when she was defeated by him in Nandigram.

At a press conference, Mamata Banerjee said the West Bengal election results did not reflect the people’s mandate but were the outcome of a conspiracy. She also alleged that the TMC was not contesting against the BJP, but against the Election Commission, which she claimed was working “for the BJP”.

The Bengal chief minister further alleged large-scale irregularities in the counting process, claiming the mandate in nearly 100 seats was “looted”. She also said the counting process was deliberately slowed to demoralise the Trinamool.

Banerjee said, “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, I will not go to Lok Bhavan. They can take action as per constitutional norms.”

"Why should I resign? We have not lost. Votes have been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?" the TMC chief asserted.

What happens next?

Refusing to resign from her post, Mamata Banerjee has also indicated that constitutional options remain open. “They can take action as per constitutional norms,” she said, without elaborating.

The term of the 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends on 7 May 2026, marking the end of Mamata Banerjee's five-year tenure that began in 2021.

This means that after 7 May, Mamata Banerjee will cease to be the chief minister.

Article 164 of the Constitution of India mentions that it is the Governor who appoints the chief minister, and the “other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.”

To continue in the office, Mamata Banerjee will have to prove the majority in the Assembly. In West Bengal, the majority officially lies with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has won 207 seats in the state Assembly, while the TMC has won 80 seats.

Meanwhile, as Mamata Banerjee continues to fight the Election Commission and the Assembly election results, the BJP has decided to hold the oath-taking ceremony for the next chief minister and the state cabinet ministers in West Bengal on 9 May, Saturday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya said, “The Prime Minister announced yesterday that on 25th Baisakh, that is 9 May, Rabindranath Tagore's birthday, this government will take the oath.”

The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, ending the TMC's uninterrupted 15-year rule in West Bengal and marking a decisive shift in the state's political landscape.