RN Ravi, the Governor of West Bengal, dissolved the legislative assembly on Thursday evening, two days after outgoing Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee refused to step down from her post. Banerjee’s remarks came after her party, Trinamool Congress (TMC) faced a crushing electoral defeat in the state assembly polls 2026. 

Governor Ravi invoked Article 174 of the Constitution to dissolve the House with immediate effect, halting a tense political standoff that had gripped the state after the results were announced.

Official notification issued

The Governor communicated the decision by means of an official notification issued by the Raj Bhavan and published in the state gazette. The single-line order confirmed the dissolution of the Assembly effective May 7, 2026.

As per constitutional provisions, the outgoing council of ministers will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new batch is sworn in. 

Mamata’s refusal to resign sparks row

The development comes days after Mamata Banerjee refused to step down despite the electoral setback. In an interaction with the media on Tuesday, she maintained that the verdict did not reflect the people’s mandate. She asserted, “I have not lost, so I will not resign,” alleging that the outcome was a manipulated one, rather than democratic choice. Her stance drew flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had demanded her immediate dismissal, while sections of the Opposition rallied in her support. 

Notably, BJP secured a sweeping mandate in the polls, winning close to 200 seats in the 294-member House, comfortably steering towards the majority mark. The ruling TMC, which had governed the state for 15 consecutive years, was reduced to a significantly smaller tally. 

Banerjee alleges several seats were looted

Banerjee refused to concede defeat, and alleged large-scale irregularities in the counting process. She claimed several seats were looted and that the results had been engineered. Adding to this, she said that her party would challenge the outcome of the polls in court, signalling that the political battle is far from over.