Wanted to quit as CM but party rejected offer: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she offered to quit but her party Trinamool Congress refused to accept the resignation.

Mamata was addressing her first press conference after her party's lacklustre performance in the Lok Sabha election.

"At Trinamool Congress' internal meeting, I offered to leave the chief minister's post. However, the offer was rejected by the party and I may continue," she said.

Mamata accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of polarising the people on religious lines to garner votes in West Bengal and also raised suspicion over the saffron party's stellar poll performance, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"This huge victory of the BJP is not beyond suspicion. It is quite astonishing how the opposition is completely wiped out in several states. There have been some setting and foreign powers are also involved," Mamata claimed.

She also alleged an emergency-like situation was created in the state by the BJP to win the elections.

The BJP made a stunning inroad into Bengal winning 18 parliamentary seats in the state in the elections, up from just two in 2014 national poll.

The Trinamool Congress bagged 22 seats this time, down from 34 five years ago.