Kolkata: Amid the dramatic political change in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee quietly updated her bio on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state’s first BJP chief minister on Saturday.
The move comes days after Banerjee had refused to concede defeat following the Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. Until Saturday morning, her X profile described her as the “Honourable Chief Minister, West Bengal”. However, as Adhikari was sworn in at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, the bio was modified to read: “Chief Minister of West Bengal (15th, 16th, 17th Vidhan Sabha)” while also identifying her as the founding chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress.
Notably, Banerjee avoided using the term “former chief minister”. The updated description is being interpreted by many as a subtle acknowledgement of the end of her 15-year tenure in power, while still asserting her political legacy in Bengal.
The change follows days of political confrontation after the BJP secured a sweeping mandate in the Assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress’s dominance that began in 2011. Banerjee had earlier alleged that the election outcome was the result of a “conspiracy” and initially declined to resign despite losing both the majority and her own seat, Bhawanipur.
Banerjee’s revised bio sparked widespread reactions online, with many users calling it a tacit admission of electoral defeat. Others viewed the wording as a calculated political message aimed at retaining symbolic continuity with her three consecutive terms as chief minister.
