- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has suggested that Mamata Banerjee be dismissed
- Banerjee has refused to resign after BJP won the assembly election in West Bengal
- Banerjee has claimed that she has not lost and will not visit Raj Bhavan
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision not to resign can only be handled in one way -- dismiss her, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today. Bengal, he added, has tolerated her for too long despite her multiple omissions and commissions.
"If she doesn't resign, she will be dismissed. The country doesn't run according to her whims. The Governor will wait for a certain period, and after that, she will be dismissed - it is as simple as that," Sarma told NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal during an exclusive interview today.
"The results are out; the election outcome has been declared. You are saying 100 seats were snatched from you? Well, then I could also say that the 19 seats won by Congress were snatched from me; I should have received 126. That's not how a country operates," he added.
Banerjee, who lost the state to BJP yesterday after three consecutive terms in power, refused to tender her resignation today, creating an unprecedented situation. "I have not lost, so I will not go to Raj Bhavan. I will not tender resignation," she told reporters at a press conference this evening.
Banerjee's move can potentially bring dismissal, since the Governor can technically dismiss a a Chief Minister. But there are certain checks and balances in place, including a series of rulings by the Supreme Court, which has clearly marked out the powers of the Governor.
Any action against Banerjee can be avoided if the winning party stakes claim and is invited by the Governor to form government before the term of the assembly ends - which is May 7 for Bengal.
Sarma said people have tolerated Banerjee for so long "because India is that kind of country".
"You don't allow fencing on the border, and then you claim seats were snatched from you? This result should have come to you a long time ago. The people of West Bengal gave you a lot. Today, they have given a mandate to the BJP. You say, "I won't resign," as if the society will function based on whether you choose to resign or not," he added.
About Banerjee and her party's contention that SIR was used to conduct vote theft and the government and the Election Commission colluded to bring it about, Sarma said, "Where is the proof of that".
The Special Intensive Revision of voter lists was mandated by the Supreme Court, he said. "You went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said, "No, you are wrong; the Election Commission is correct." So, that debate ended right there... if the names removed by the SIR were all added to your tally, would you still be winning?" he questioned.
The BJP has won 206 of the 293 seats in Bengal. The Trinamool won 80 seats -- less than half of its massive score of 215 seats in 2021.
