West Bengal Governor dissolves state assembly

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 7 : West Bengal Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dissolved the Legislative Assembly ahead of the formation of the new government in the state.

The Governor issued an order dissolving the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7.

The BJP, which won a landslide majority and is slated to form its first government in the state, has stepped up preparations for the oath-taking ceremony.

BJP sources said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to reach Kolkata later today, and a meeting of newly-elected party MLAs is likely to be held tomorrow to elect the legislative party leader.

Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a meeting of newly-elected MLAs of her party and stated she will not resign from her post in the wake of assembly poll results and the Centre can dismiss her, Trinamool Congress sources said on Wednesday.

They said Mamata Banerjee stated that party candidates "were forcefully defeated" in the polls and alleged that over 1500 Trinamool Congress offices "were hijacked".

She also said that there is greater unity in the INDIA bloc after the Bengal poll results.

She alleged that the state did not witness an election "but an atrocity" and claimed that Trinamool Congress had "morally" defeated BJP in the polls.

The Trinamool Congress leader said she will continue her fight. "After the Bengal INDIA team is united now. I won't resign. Let them dismiss me. I want this to be a black day. We have to be strong. On the first day of the Assembly, wear black clothes. Those who betrayed will be removed from the party. I am laughing. I defeated them morally. I am a free bird. I worked for all. We might have lost, but we will fight. HM and PM are directly involved," Mamata Banerjee said, according to Trinamool Congress sources.

The sources said Mamata Banerjee alleged that she was "heckled and pushed."

"Those who lost were forcefully defeated. I condemn West Bengal Police, CRPF, BJP-minded Chief Electoral Officer and ECI. More than 1500 party offices were hijacked. I was heckled and pushed. I was having chest pain. This was not an election but an atrocity," she said, according to AITC sources.

Mamata Banerjee's refusal to step down had created an unprecedented situation and a kind of constitutional crisis in the state.

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