Pictures BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: The possibility of temporarily imposing President's Rule in West Bengal has emerged, sparking intense political and constitutional debate. This situation has arisen following the 2026 State Assembly elections, the results of which triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis within the state.
**Chief Minister Refuses to Resign:** In the Assembly elections, the BJP secured an absolute majority by winning 207 seats, while the Trinamool Congress saw its tally drop to 80 seats. However, citing allegations of vote rigging, the outgoing Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has refused to tender her resignation.
**Dissolution of the Assembly:** The State Governor, R. N. Ravi, has dissolved the current West Bengal Legislative Assembly through a directive effective from May 7, 2026.
**Absence of a Caretaker Government:** Typically, prior to the formation of a new government, the outgoing Chief Minister continues to discharge duties in a 'caretaker' capacity. However, as the Chief Minister has not resigned—and the Governor has not formally authorized her to serve as a caretaker—the state currently lacks a functioning Cabinet.
According to constitutional experts, the new BJP government is scheduled to be sworn in on May 9, 2026. To ensure that no administrative or constitutional vacuum arises during this interim period, the Governor may invoke Article 356 of the Constitution to temporarily impose President's Rule for a duration of just one or two days. The Chief Minister herself has directly challenged the Centre, stating that the Union government should indeed impose President's Rule if it deems it necessary.