Danapur (Bihar) [India], May 6 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday criticised Mamata Banerjee for refusing to resign after her party's electoral defeat, saying she must accept the verdict with humility and warned that the "nation will never forgive" such a stance.
Prasad emphasised that the Bengal Legislative Assembly's term expires on the 8th, making it impossible to extend her tenure beyond that date, underscoring the constitutional limits to her position.
Speaking to the reporters, Prasad said, "Mamata Banerjee has lost, and she should accept this defeat with humility... Yet now, she is stating that she will not resign. What is the meaning of this? To what extent do you intend to weaken the country's democracy? The nation will never forgive you. In any case, according to the Constitution, the term of the Bengal Legislative Assembly itself is set to expire on the 8th. It cannot be extended even a single day beyond that date. Once the Legislative Assembly dissolves, your tenure effectively comes to an end as well."
His remarks came after Mamata Banerjee, in a strong reaction on Tuesday, accused the Election Commission and the BJP of "looting" the democratic process, even as the results indicated 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 asserted.
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.
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