Mamata stakes claim to form govt in W. Bengal
The RO had found his life under threat in case recounting would have happened. The server was deliberately slowed down, machines were changed and power was cut. He worked under gunpoint. Why didn’t the EC order recounting of votes? — Mamata Banerjee,
WB Chief Minister
Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, undeterred by her controversial defeat in a narrow margin to her protege-turned-adversary Shuvendu Adhikari of the BJP at Nandigram in the West Bengal Assembly polls, is going to take oath on May 5 morning as the chief minister of the state for a third consecutive term to form her new government with a majority strength of 213 MLAs in her party.
This is however a rare instance in the history of the state when a two-time CM is on her way to take oath to head a government despite losing in the Assembly polls as her party has been elected to power in a landslide victory. On Monday evening Ms Banerjee met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan and pledged to form her government after she was unanimously chosen as the TMC legislature party leader.
Asked about the seat the TMC chief would again contest from for her election, after her defeat, to continue as the CM, party secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “The matter is pending before the Election Commission. Ms Banerjee will be the CM as per the Constitution.”
Once again alleging foul play in Nandigram, the TMC chief, however referred to an SMS of the returning officer of the hot seat in which he apparently feared for his life if he would have ordered the recounting of votes. “I have no other option but to commit suicide,” the RO reportedly wrote in the SMS to one of his family members on Sunday night.”