I offered to quit as chief minister but party rejected: Mamata Banerjee

Stunned by the sudden surge of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee on Saturday offered to resign from the post of Chief Minister. 

"I told my party that I don't want to continue as Chief Minister," Banerjee was quoted as saying by ANI. 

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: I told at the beginning of the meeting that I don't want to continue as the Chief Minister. pic.twitter.com/KZvH9oyTec

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019

Banerjee also accused that an emergency situation like was being created in the state and the Election Commission remained mute spectator. 

"The central forces worked against us. An emergency situation was created. Hindu-Muslim division was done and votes were divided. We complained to the EC but nothing was looked into," she said.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: The central forces worked against us. An emergency situation was created. Hindu-Muslim division was done and votes were divided. We complained to the EC but nothing was looked into. pic.twitter.com/FSksMoXsBq

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019

The ruling party in West Bengal came down from 34 to 22 in the Lok Sabha polls. Although the Trinamool Congress has managed to increase its vote share from 39 per cent in 2014 to 43 per cent this time, it failed to hold on to its strongholds in tribal-dominated Jangalmahal region of south Bengal and tea garden belt in the north, where the party faced a complete rout.     

The BJP won 18 of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and increased its vote share from 17 per cent in 2014 to 40.5 per cent this time. Even in the seats the TMC won, the BJP emerged as the runners-up, relegating the Left to the third spot.

Of the 22 seats the Trinamool won, 16 constituencies witnessed a battle of nerves till the last round of counting with leads changing in minutes.     

If the data of the national polls are analysed assembly segment-wise, the BJP is ahead in nearly 130 of the 294 assembly constituencies in the state, the majority mark being 148. West Bengal will go for assembly polls in 2021.