BJP slams Mamata’s refusal to resign after election defeat as ‘ridiculous’

India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharply criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for refusing to resign despite her party’s defeat in the state assembly election, calling her stance “ridiculous” and politically motivated.

The remarks come on Tuesday (May 5) after Mamata Banerjee, addressing a press conference in Kolkata, rejected calls to step down following the election results and alleged large-scale irregularities in vote counting.

According to Indian media reports, BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said Mamata Banerjee was “making herself a subject of ridicule” by continuing in office despite the electoral setback.

He added that if she had grievances regarding the results, she should approach the Supreme Court instead of questioning the constitutional process.

Separately, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, in a post on social media platform X, accused Banerjee of attempting to undermine constitutional norms and inciting unrest.

He compared the situation to the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill unrest in the United States, claiming she was attempting to “short-circuit” democratic processes.

Poonawalla further alleged that Banerjee was blaming the Election Commission and refusing to accept the mandate, describing her reaction as an expression of frustration following defeat.

Mamata Banerjee, however, has maintained that the verdict was not a fair reflection of public will. She alleged that results in nearly 100 constituencies were “manipulated” and accused election authorities of slowing down the counting process to disadvantage her party. “There is no question of resignation. We have not been defeated by the people but by conspiracy,” she said.

Source: The Telegraph