The Trinamool Congress, which finished second in the West Bengal elections, said on Friday that it would challenge Governor RN Ravi’s decision to dissolve the state assembly, a move that came days after the party chief said there was no question of her resignation as chief minister.
Addressing a press conference a day after the counting of votes, the TMC supremo said she would not follow the tradition of going to the governor to hand over her resignation as chief minister of the state despite the crushing defeat in the elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Track the latest West Bengal election news here
TMC leader Saujata Roy on Friday said the party would challenge the “undemocratic” move by issuing a rejoinder in the matter.
“This is not a democratic move. Our party will issue a rejoinder on this matter soon,” TMC MP Sujata Roy told news agency PTI.
In the absence of her official resignation, there was no opportunity for the governor to ask her to continue as interim prime minister until her successor was sworn in.
“In exercise of the powers conferred on the Governor under Sub-clause (b) of Clause 2 of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, West Bengal Governor RN Ravi has issued an order dissolving the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7, 2026,” a statement issued by the Governor’s office in Kolkata said, according to an earlier HT report.
BJP leaders have indicated that the new government is likely to be sworn in at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground on May 9, two days after the outgoing Assembly’s term ends and coinciding with Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary.
To chair a meeting on the Prime Minister’s decision, Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata on Friday. Shah was appointed Central Observer for the election of the leader of the West Bengal Legislative Party.
A senior government official mentioned in the previous Hizb ut-Tahrir report said that the governor will be the chief executive of the state in the interim period.
