KOLKATA, May 6: A day after refusing to resign as the West Bengal chief minister despite the BJP’s sweeping electoral victory, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hardened her political stance, asserting that the party would move the Supreme Court alleging large-scale manipulation during counting.
Party leaders described her decision as a “symbolic protest” against alleged manipulation of the assembly poll results and signalled a prolonged political and legal battle ahead.
At a meeting of newly-elected TMC MLAs and senior leaders at her Kalighat residence, Banerjee reportedly told party legislators that the BJP had “looted” the election and that they would move the Supreme Court.
According to party leaders present at the meeting, Banerjee struck a defiant note and indicated that the TMC would politically resist what it describes as an “engineered mandate”.
“Let them impose President’s Rule if they want. Let them dismiss me if they want. Let it remain on record as a black day,” Banerjee was quoted as telling party legislators during the closed-door meeting.
According to constitutional experts, technically, the term of the current West Bengal Assembly ends on May 7. Until then, Banerjee will continue to hold office. However, once the assembly’s term expires, she will automatically cease to be chief minister, irrespective of whether she formally resigns, effectively rendering the standoff time-bound.
Suvendu Adhikari’s PA shot dead
In a shocking development within 48 hours of West Bengal assembly poll results, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the northern fringes of Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering sharp political reactions and heightened tension in the area.
The incident took place at Doharia in Madhyamgram’s Doltala area in North 24 Parganas district, where Rath, who served as the executive assistant to the BJP leader, was shot at point-blank range by motorcycle-borne assailants, sources said.
According to preliminary information, the attackers followed Rath’s car, intercepted it, shot him through the rolled-up window from the opposite side and fled the scene immediately after carrying out the attack.
Rath’s driver also sustained bullet injuries and was shifted to a Kolkata hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical.
Local news channels reported that Rath sustained critical injuries in the firing and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the official media channel of the BJP said. (PTI)
