West Bengal Governor RN Ravi has formally ended Mamata Banerjee’s 15‑year reign as Chief Minister by dissolving the state Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7, 2026, marking the constitutional conclusion of the outgoing TMC government. The move comes days after Banerjee stubbornly refused to tender her resignation, declaring the BJP landslide victory an “election‑theft” and vowing not to visit Raj Bhavan or submit her papers.
In a statement from the Governor’s office, Ravi invoked sub‑clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution, which allows the Governor to dissolve the Assembly at the end of its five‑year term. The notification read: “In exercise of the powers conferred upon the Governor under sub‑clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, RN Ravi, Governor of West Bengal, has issued an order dissolving the West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7, 2026.”
Because Mamata skipped the conventional step of resignation, the Governor had no formal occasion to request her to continue in a caretaker‑CM role until a successor took charge. Instead, the dissolution left the state executive in the hands of the Governor during the interim period, while the BJP announced that its new government was likely to be sworn in on May 9 at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
Political observers see the Governor’s move as a firm constitutional response to Banerjee’s “protest language,” as her own party spokesperson, Kunal Ghosh, described her defiance. The BJP’s 207‑seat sweep—up from 112 in 2021—reflected a decisive shift in voter sentiment, yet Mamata’s refusal to step down threatened to create a governance vacuum in India’s sixth‑largest state.
Now, with the Assembly dissolved and the caretaker‑phase over, the path is clear for the BJP to form its first government in Bengal, while Banerjee’s dramatic exit cements her image as a combative leader who chose confrontation over concession in the final act of her long tenure.
