PEOPLE REJECTED THOSE WHO SWITCHED FROM TMC: BENGAL BJP CHIEF DILIP GHOSH

Press Trust of India

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NEW DELHI:

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said it seems people “didn’t accept those who switched to the party” from the Trinamool Congress, with many of these candidates losing their seats.

“We never expected such a result. The feedback and the response which we were getting from people were telling something different. But we accept this result and now will play the role of a constructive opposition,” Ghosh told PTI.

He noted that the BJP has improved its position in terms of seats though its target was to form the government.

On the question of many TMC turncoats losing elections, Ghosh said, “It seems people didn’t accept those who switched to the BJP from the TMC.” Talking about the reasons for the defeat, Ghosh said the BJP lost many seats with very small margins and will delve deeply to figure out the reasons.

He said it is not easy to change the perception of the people.

The ruling Trinamool Congress looks set to retain power in West Bengal with its candidates leading in over 200 of the state’s 292 seats that went to polls.

The BJP had set itself a target of winning 200-plus seats in the state, where it won just three seats in the 2016 elections.

The party fought a hard battle in the state, fielding some of its parliamentarians and a Union Minister in the state assembly polls.