New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) BJP leader and winning candidate from Kharagpur, West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, on Tuesday, said the mandate reflected the will of the people and not the influence of any institution.

Speaking to reporters on his party’s sweeping victory in the state, Ghosh said, “When the Congress was in power, they used to win. Was the Election Commission responsible for winning? Victory and defeat are in the hands of the people. People are the ultimate decision-makers.”

He added that political outcomes are shaped by public sentiment and accountability, stating, “What they do to others — insults and disrespect — comes back to them in the same way. That is what is happening today with the All India Trinamool Congress in Bengal.”

Taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, Ghosh further said, “Why would Mamata Banerjee be pushed? The public rejected her, and she lost support. Some people are making accusations, but she had 15 years in power and did not deliver results. There were allegations of corruption and violence…”

His remarks come amid a decisive electoral shift in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the dominant force, ending years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state.

The comments from Ghosh echo the broader narrative pushed by the BJP leadership, which has attributed its victory to anti-incumbency sentiment, governance issues, and voter dissatisfaction with the outgoing administration.

According to the final results of the West Bengal Assembly election, the BJP secured a commanding position with a two-thirds majority. The party won 206 seats out of 293 declared constituencies. The Trinamool Congress finished with 81 seats, while the Congress secured two seats. The CPI(M) won one seat, the All India Secular Front (AISF) also won one seat, and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) bagged two seats.

In terms of vote share, the BJP polled 46 per cent, followed by the Trinamool Congress at 41 per cent. The CPI(M)-led Left Front received 4 per cent, the Congress 3 per cent, and other parties accounted for 6 per cent of the vote share.

The Trinamool Congress also suffered significant setbacks, failing to win any seats in ten districts, including Cooch Behar, East Midnapore, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Bankura, and Purulia, marking one of its worst performances in recent electoral history.

–IANS

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