Banerjee stated, “I am not defeated; I have been made to lose. I will not go to Lokbhavan to resign. There is no question of my resignation. Morally, we have won.” She further emphasized that, according to her, the outcome did not reflect a genuine defeat and insisted that her mandate remained intact in principle.
In a sharp attack on the electoral process, Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing constitutional institutions, particularly the Election Commission. She alleged that nearly 100 seats were “stolen” through systematic manipulation. She went on to describe the Election Commission as the “main villain” in the electoral process, accusing it of enabling irregularities and facilitating administrative interference.
She also alleged that, under the Special Summary Revision process (SIR), nearly 9 million voter names were removed from electoral rolls. According to her, police officials were replaced and administrative machinery was taken over to influence the outcome. Banerjee claimed that such levels of disorder and interference had never been witnessed in her political experience, calling the situation unprecedented and chaotic.
Reiterating her allegations, she stated that the Election Commission was responsible for what she described as electoral malpractice. “We did not lose the election; we were made to lose,” she said, adding that her fight was primarily against the Election Commission rather than political opponents.
Despite her accusations, Banerjee also stated that she was ready to resign, while simultaneously asserting that resignation was not necessary, reflecting a conflicting stance during the press briefing. She further alleged that her party workers faced widespread harassment and claimed that the BJP had used the Election Commission as a political instrument.
Banerjee confirmed that she would continue to stand with the INDIA alliance, stating that all major opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, and Hemant Soren, had contacted her to express solidarity. She also mentioned that Akhilesh Yadav had requested a meeting the same day, but she asked him to come the following day instead.
Expressing her future political intent, Banerjee declared that she would work to strengthen the INDIA alliance. She described herself as a “free individual” with no official position, stating that she would function independently without institutional authority. She further added that she had dedicated her entire life to public service and had not drawn pension benefits or salary funds in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a historic victory in West Bengal, winning 207 out of 294 assembly seats. The Trinamool Congress was reduced to 80 seats, while independent and other candidates secured 6 seats. Counting was completed for 293 constituencies on Monday out of the total 294 seats, marking a decisive political shift in the state.
The results and subsequent allegations have intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with both parties presenting sharply contrasting narratives of the electoral outcome.
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