Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday refused to resign after her party’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections, insisting that the TMC had not actually lost the mandate and alleging large-scale manipulation and institutional bias.
“There is no question of my resignation. I will not resign. We did not lose the election,” Banerjee said, claiming the party had instead secured a “moral victory”. When asked about a possible visit to Raj Bhavan, she replied, “Morally we won.”
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Launching a sharp attack on the Election Commission, Banerjee said the contest was “not with the BJP but with the EC,” alleging that the poll body acted in a partisan manner. “BJP planned it using the EC. This is a brutal murder of democracy,” she said.
She further alleged irregularities in voter lists, claiming that lakhs of names were deleted and later restored following court intervention. “They deleted 90 lakh names. Even after correction, more discrepancies remain. Nobody knows how,” she said.
Banerjee also alleged widespread violence and intimidation during polling and counting. She claimed TMC workers were attacked, central forces acted in a biased manner, and women supporters were threatened. “Is this jawan bahini or goon bahini?” she asked.
She further alleged that she herself was mistreated during the counting process, saying she was physically pushed and denied movement at a counting centre. She also accused sections of the media of shaping early narratives in favour of the BJP.
Despite the defeat, Banerjee struck a defiant tone, saying the party would continue its struggle. “We fought like a tiger and we shall continue to fight. We will bounce back,” she said.
She added that INDIA bloc leaders had reached out to express solidarity and announced the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate alleged post-poll violence.
“We fought inch by inch. History will repeat itself,” she said, vowing to continue the political battle.
