Guv dissolves West Bengal assembly after completion of term

Governor R N Ravi has dissolved the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7 after completion of its term, according to an official notification. With the dissolution of the assembly, the state cabinet also ceased to exist, effectively bringing Mamata Banerjees tenure as chief minister to an end.

Governor R N Ravi has dissolved the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7 after completion of its term, according to an official notification. The current assembly was constituted in May 2021 after the Trinamool Congress, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, returned to power for the third consecutive term in the state. The dissolution marks the formal completion of the tenure of the outgoing assembly, following the recently concluded two-phase elections. The notification was issued by the Department of Parliamentary Affairs. With the dissolution of the assembly, the state cabinet also ceased to exist, effectively bringing Mamata Banerjee's tenure as chief minister to an end. However, deviating from practice, Banerjee has refused to resign after her party, the TMC, was defeated by the BJP in the assembly elections, alleging unfair means during the poll process. Banerjee has maintained that she and her party were defeated through ''manipulation''. Article 174 of the Constitution empowers the Governor to summon the assembly under specific provisions. It governs the sessions, prorogation, and dissolution of state legislatures. The BJP won 207 seats to secure more than a two-thirds majority in the 294-member West Bengal assembly, ending the TMC's uninterrupted 15-year rule in the state. The Mamata Banerjee-led party was reduced to 80 seats.