Kolkata, March 25: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a significant step by resigning from 23 government positions and committees ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The resignation was submitted with immediate effect, as confirmed by a letter from the Chief Minister’s office.
On March 23, 2026, Banerjee wrote to the Chief Secretary, resigning from various departments and institutions where she held positions, including those associated with her role as Chief Minister. She also requested the resignation of any additional positions not listed.
On March 24, 2026, the Department of Home and Hill Affairs issued an official letter informing all additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries across departments about her resignation. The letter stated that Banerjee had resigned from these positions with immediate effect, and departments were instructed to initiate the acceptance process promptly.
The government letter clearly directed that resignations from all relevant positions and institutions, where she serves as chairperson or member, should be accepted. Furthermore, compliance reports on the accepted resignations were to be emailed to the Home Department by 4 PM on March 25, 2026.
Banerjee’s resignation letter was notably brief, stating, “I am resigning from all my positions with immediate effect. Necessary action should be taken to accept these resignations.”
According to government sources, this move was made to comply with the Election Commission‘s regulations. To avoid any ‘office of profit’ situations and maintain ethical standards before the elections, the Chief Minister has resigned from these additional positions. However, Mamata Banerjee remains the Chief Minister of West Bengal and retains her key cabinet positions, having only stepped down from extra committees and boards.