‘Defeated by conspiracy’: West Bengal chief minister refuses to resign after election loss

Mamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in power

A political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee – India’s most powerful female politician – has dramatically refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week.

On Monday, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory in the state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years.