ISLAMABAD: Amid allegations of misconduct in the West Bengal elections by the Election Commission of India and the ruling BJP, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee refused to resign and to go to Raj Bhavan (Governor’s Residence) during a Tuesday press conference, local media reported.
After a ruling party is removed from power, it is customary in India for the chief minister to go to the State Governor's residence and submit their resignation to the Governor.
The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, however, has vowed not to do so, claiming that she has not been defeated and that "the question does not arise for her to go to Raj Bhavan."
Banerjee called the Indian Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, the “villain of this election,” and alleged that the Election Commission “looted” the electronic voting machines and the democratic rights of the Bengali people.
Mamata has also accused the Election Commission of working at the behest of the ruling party in the center, the BJP.
"Two days before the election, they started arresting our people. They started raiding everywhere. They changed all IPS and IAS officers. They selected people from their party, and the BJP played the game directly with the Election Commission. It is a battle between the BJP and the Election Commission," Banerjee said.
She also lamented the reduction of Bengal’s electorate by more than 9 million voters under the infamous Special Intensive Revision, saying that Indian PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were actively complicit.
The BJP won a two-thirds majority in West Bengal's controversial elections, defeating Banerjee’s TMC, which had been in power for three consecutive terms.
