For BJP in West Bengal, win some, lose some: vote share down, seat count up

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“We have managed to win in three constituencies – Madarihat (Alipurduar district), Baishnabnagar (Malda district) and Kharagpur Sadar (West Medinipur district), registering our presence all over Bengal. Our ally GJM retained the three seats, so we effectively have six seats in Bengal. There is a mood of celebration and the victory will help us in future,” Ghosh said at a press conference. The party had also done considerably well in Kharagpur and Mayureswar constituencies.

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Ghosh said the seats were won purely on the basis of organisational strength. “We managed polling agents in 80-85 per cent booths and we also had counting agents in place throughout the counting process,” he said.

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He said the Trinamool had won because of Mamata Banerjee alone. “Although most of her party members have been proved corrupt, her image has been free from corruption, and that has been the party’s biggest strength. She worked hard and her party has won because of her single-handed effort. People did not have an alternative to the TMC,” Ghosh added.

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On the loss of Rahul Sinha and Samik Bhattacharya, Ghosh blamed strategic voting. “They lost because of minority-dominated pockets in the constituencies,” he said. Defining Sinha’s loss as ‘ ‘jhatka’ for the party, he said, “It will be added pressure on me as I will have to look after the party and be the member of the Assembly as well.”

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Referring to Surjya Kanta Mishra’s (CPM) allegation that the BJP had a tacit understanding with the TMC in 10-12 seats, he said, “The BJP is not a fool. We have always taken the TMC head on. Mishra is looking for excuses for his party’s dismal performance,” Ghosh said.

BJP national secretary and co-convenor for Bengal, Sidharth Nath Singh said: “We concentrated on places where we had good chances to win and went on with an aggressive campaign… Had there been no alliance between the Congress and the Left, BJP would have won around 16 more seats.”