Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 7 : The political temperature in West Bengal soared after Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dissolved the Legislative Assembly ahead of the formation of a new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, even as the state witnessed post-poll violence, including the murder of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant Chandranath Rath.
The dissolution of the Assembly formally cleared the way for the BJP's first government in West Bengal after the party's sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, where the BJP won 207 seats while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was reduced to 80 after 15 years of being in power.
According to BJP sources, a meeting of newly elected party MLAs is likely to be held on Friday to elect the legislative party leader ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
The dramatic political transition, however, unfolded against a backdrop of explosive allegations, emotional appeals, violent clashes, and accusations of "murder of democracy" from the Opposition camp.
Outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier struck a defiant tone during a meeting with newly elected TMC MLAs, declaring she would not resign despite the electoral defeat. "I won't resign. Let them dismiss me. I want this to be a black day. We have to be strong," she reportedly told party legislators.
Banerjee alleged that the elections were manipulated through force and intimidation and claimed the BJP had not achieved a moral victory. "This was not an election but an atrocity," she said, while alleging that over 1,500 TMC offices had been "hijacked" after the results.
The TMC supremo further alleged that she was "heckled and pushed" during the post-result atmosphere and claimed she suffered chest pain amid the chaos. "I defeated them morally. I am a free bird. We might have lost, but we will fight," she said, according to party sources.
Her refusal to step down had briefly triggered a constitutional standoff in the state, leading the Governor to dissolve the Assembly.
BJP leaders celebrated the dissolution as the symbolic end of Mamata Banerjee's rule.
BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said, "The public had already removed Mamata Banerjee from their hearts, and as per the Constitution, from today she is no longer the Chief Minister."
She added that Bengal would now witness a "double-engine government" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
In a dramatic show of Opposition solidarity, Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata on Thursday.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya mocked the Opposition unity efforts after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.
"Zero plus zero is equal to zero. Zero minus zero result is zero," Bhattacharya said.
Even before the BJP government could formally take oath, the killing of Chandranath Rath -- personal assistant to BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari -- triggered a major political storm across Bengal.
Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel, was allegedly shot dead near Madhyamgram on Wednesday night.
Speaking while Rath's mortal remains were brought to his residence in Madhyamgram, Adhikari described the killing as a "premeditated murder."
"He was killed because he was my aide, and I defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. This could be the reason for his murder," Adhikari alleged.
Calling it a "cold-blooded planned attack", he claimed that the assailants conducted reconnaissance before carrying out the shooting. "The postmortem revealed that four bullets were fired at him. This was not an ordinary crime. It was executed by contract killers," he said.
Adhikari insisted Rath had no personal enmity with anyone. "His only identity was that he worked with me," he added.
The BJP leader also vowed to stand by Rath's family and ensure strict punishment for the accused. "My responsibility is to ensure these killers are arrested quickly and given capital punishment," he said.
Police have since recovered the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack, while the CID has launched an investigation.
Senior BJP leaders launched an all-out offensive against the Trinamool Congress over the murder.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged that TMC had "resorted to violence" after being "rattled by crushing defeat". "In a democracy, such an incident is not merely tragic; it is shameful. The criminals will not get away with this," Chouhan said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan described the killing as a "cold-blooded, barbaric and cowardly execution by TMC goons". "The people of Bengal will not continue to tolerate politics rooted in fear and bloodshed," he wrote on X.
BJP MP Saumitra Khan claimed the killing showed the worsening law and order situation in Bengal.
"Killing a personal assistant is not an easy thing... Yet he was killed, which is not right," Khan said, while warning that "after the 9th, we will catch all the jihadis and killers one by one," he said.
Akhilesh Yadav's meeting with top TMC leadership quickly turned into a fierce attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI).
"Didi, you have not lost," Akhilesh reportedly told Mamata during the closed-door meeting, as per TMC official sources.
Addressing reporters later, the SP chief accused the BJP of carrying out "multi-layered mafiagiri" during the Bengal elections.
"When the election happened honestly, she won. But this time, fraud was done by the BJP, the Election Commission, spies and underground people together," he alleged.
He demanded that CCTV footage from polling booths be made public. "If the Supreme Court proceedings can be live, why can't CCTV footage of Bengal voting and counting be shown?" he asked.
Akhilesh also sensationally held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for Chandranath Rath's killing. "Tag the Home Minister on Twitter and ask him how this happened," he said.
The SP chief further accused central forces of voter suppression and alleged that TMC voters were prevented from casting ballots. "This is the biggest murder of democracy," he claimed.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal also reacted to the murder, writing on X: "Violence has no place in politics."
AJUP chief Humayun Kabir described Rath as "a good young man" and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.
Meanwhile, Rath's mother, Hasirani Rath, alleged that the killing was politically motivated. "They did this because the BJP came to power," she claimed while demanding life imprisonment for the accused.
His brother Dev Kumar said Rath "had no enmity with anyone".
BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh revealed he was speaking to Chandranath Rath over the phone moments before the shooting.
"I heard two or three voices, then the call disconnected," he said. Ghosh later received a call informing him that Rath had been shot. "This murder was carried out by a sharpshooter. Some big people's hands are behind this," he alleged.
As political tensions escalated, fresh violence erupted in the Chaurabasti area of Shivpur in Howrah, where BJP and TMC supporters allegedly clashed.
Police said at least one person was injured after the confrontation spiralled into violence.
Howrah Police Commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi confirmed that forces were deployed to bring the situation under control. "A political clash had taken place, resulting in one injury," he said.
However, BJP leaders alleged a far more serious attack.
Howrah BJP president Gouranga Bhattacharya claimed that miscreants linked to a man identified as Shami Ahmed alias Bore hurled "12 to 15 bombs" and fired "seven to eight rounds of bullets" during BJP victory celebrations. "They were trying to capture the area," Bhattacharya alleged.
Locals also claimed that bombs, bullets, bricks and glass bottles were used during the attack, leaving around 12 to 15 people injured.
The clashes are part of a wider wave of alleged post-poll violence and vandalism reported across Bengal after the BJP's massive victory ended the TMC's long rule in the state.
With the Assembly dissolved, the BJP preparing to form a government, Opposition parties crying foul over the elections, and political violence continuing on the ground, Bengal now stands at one of the most volatile turning points in its recent political history.