Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 6 : Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President N Ramchander Rao on Wednesday strongly condemned Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee for her refusal to resign from the Chief Minister post following her party's defeat in the recent elections.
Rao argued that Banerjee's actions insult the people's verdict and undermine the democratic framework of the country.
Talking to ANI, Rao said, "Mamata Didi saying that she will not resign is very insulting to the people's verdict and the entire democratic setup of the country. In the Constitution, Article 172 says that the term of the CM will be for 5 years only. Article 164 grants the Governor the power to appoint a new Chief Minister based on the Assembly majority. Mamata Banerjee was enjoying the Constitutional post, and now she is insulting the post. The defeat is a public verdict."
BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan also criticised Banerjee's defiance, calling it a "blatant betrayal of democratic principles."
He went further to accuse her of undermining constitutional values and violating public trust.
"Malicious misconduct and outrageous rant is a blatant betrayal of our democratic principles. It is a direct assault on our constitutional values and a gross violation of public trust and mandate," Kesavan told ANI.
He went on to call Banerjee's comments indicative of her despotic mindset, further adding, "These unbecoming statements by Mamata Banerjee are only going to expose her deeply despotic mindset, which defines her anarchic 15-year misrule, and this is the precise reason why the people of West Bengal threw her out of power."
Kesavan also pointed out that Mamata Banerjee had no constitutional right to continue in office beyond the expiration of her term.
"Everyone knows that the tenure of the Assembly ends on May 7, and Mamata Banerjee has no constitutional right to continue in office. It was Mamata Banerjee who prevented judicial officers from doing their democratic duty," he added.
The remarks come after a defiant Banerjee on Tuesday accused the Election Commission (EC) and the BJP of "looting" the democratic process. Despite the numbers, she insisted that her party remains the moral victor.
"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," Mamata Banerjee asserted.
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.
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