Mamata Banerjee Refuses to Resign, Claims ‘Moral Victory’ Despite BJP Landslide in Bengal

Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday targeted the BJP and claimed that she has not lost the assembly polls and will not go to the Raj Bhavan to tender her resignation, saying "they can defeat Trinamool Congress through the Election Commission" but "morally we won the election".

Interacting with the media a day after the assembly election results in which the BJP scored a two-thirds majority and Trinamool Congress got 80 seats, Mamata Banerjee also said she will strengthen the INDIA team, noting that she does not have "any chair now" and is "a commoner".

The Trinamool Congress chief spoke about the support she received from opposition leaders following the election results.

"Sonia ji, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Hemant Soren rang me up. All the allies of INDIA Alliance told me that they are totally and absolutely with me,” she said.

Why did Mamata Banerjee call herself a “free bird” after the Bengal poll results?

“I think our solidarity will be united and strong for the next few days. Akhilesh requested me if he can come today itself but I told him to come tomorrow. So, he will come tomorrow. One by one everyone will come," Banerjee added.

"My target is very clear. I will strengthen the INDIA team, just like a small person. I don't have any chair now, so I am a commoner,” she said.

“So, you cannot tell me that I am using your chair. I am now a free bird. I gave my entire life in service to the people, even in these 15 years I have not withdrawn one paisa of pension. I am not taking one paisa of salary also. But now, I am a free bird. So, I have to do some work, which I will manage to do," she added.

The Trinamool Congress chief, who was accompanied by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner has "become the villain of this election".

She accused the BJP of playing "dirty, nasty and mischievous games".

"Sad to say, CEC became the villain of this election to loot the democratic rights of the people and to loot the EVM. Can you tell me that after voting EVM has 80-90% charge? How is it possible? Two days before the election, they started arresting our people. They started raiding everywhere. They changed all IPS and IAS officers," she said.

"They selected people from their party and BJP played the game directly with the Election Commission,” Banerjee said.

“It is a betting between the BJP and the Election Commission. We fought against all machinery. PM and HM are also involved, direct interference. They deleted 90 lakh names in the SIR. When we went to court, 32 lakh names were included...They played dirty, nasty and mischievous games. I have never seen this type of election in my life," she added.

(With inputs from ANI)