Int’l Desk:

The Governor of India’s West Bengal, RN Ravi, dissolved the state’s legislative assembly on Thursday evening, hours before the house’s term was due to expire around midnight.

The outgoing government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, can choose to continue in the caretaker capacity until at most Monday. Mamata has so far refused to step down voluntarily, arguing that her defeat at recent polls was “engineered” by the winning BJP, the Hindu nationalist party running the federal government.

Earlier Thursday, her party said they would take their “vote rigging allegations” to the Supreme Court.

While Mamata refuses to resign, the governor can dismiss her even before Monday, just like he has the authority to dissolve her parliament.

The governor’s single-line statement revealed in the evening read: “In exercise of the power conferred on me by sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal with effect from 07th of May 2026”.

Under Article 172 of the Constitution, the assembly dissolves after its five-year term is over and the outgoing Council of Ministers can continue in a caretaker capacity till the new government takes the oath of office.

But in this case, with the huge row over the results of the assembly election in Bengal and Mamata’s subsequent declaration that she will not quit, many have questioned why she should be allowed to continue in a caretaker capacity.  Leaders of the BJP have called for her outright dismissal.

Her refusal to resign – unprecedented in the country’s electoral history – has also sparked much confusion about her status.

While according to the Constitution, Mamata can technically be dismissed – at least till the gazette is issued – its execution depends on the Governor. After the election gazette is issued by the Election Commission, a Chief Minister can no longer occupy office unless it is in a caretaker capacity.

The BJP, which won a massive mandate in the state’s recently concluded assembly election, is expected to have its cabinet take oath on Saturday, which would, in normal circumstances, keep a caretaker government in charge for two more days.

On Tuesday evening — a day after her party’s crushing defeat in the state assembly elections — Mamata had argued that she had not lost the election and the mandate the BJP got was the result of “loot”.

“I have not lost, so I will not go to Raj Bhavan (Governor’s House). I will not tender resignation,” she had told reporters at a press conference.

It sparked a massive political divide, with the Opposition bloc rallying around her and various leaders of the BJP seeking for her dismissal — a call that only the Governor can take.

Mamata’s Trinamool Congress has announced that it would go to Supreme Court to challenge the results of the assembly election that ended its three consecutive terms in power.