Panaji, Dec 28 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee managed to secure a majority in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, because she met with an accident and campaigned from a wheel-chair, Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale said here on Tuesday.

The Union Minister of State who is in Goa, also said that by winning 77 seats in West Bengal, the BJP had not lost the much hyped state assembly polls and neither could Banerjee claim to have won the elections.

"Mamata Banerjee succeeded (in West Bengal). PM and I congratulated her. Those who are victorious in a democracy, must be congratulated. She won a huge success. The reason for this is Mamata Banerjee met with an accident, she was on a wheel chair. After that BJP lost 99 seats by a margin of 500 to 1500-2000 votes," Athawale told reporters at a press conference in Panaji.

"The reason why BJP won less seats is because the Left Front and Congress there did not get any votes. All the votes went to Mamata Banerjee and TMC and that is why BJP got fewer votes. Otherwise BJP would have won 180-190 seats. BJP now has 77 seats. I feel that it was not BJP's loss nor was it Mamata's win," he also said.

Athawale met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and later announced the support of the Republican Party of India, which he heads nationally, to the ruling party for the 2022 polls.

"In Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, RPI will align with the BJP. In Goa, RPI will not field a single candidate and will support BJP in all 40 seats. My party's state committee has taken this decision. BJP should come to power here and RPI will be with the BJP wholeheartedly," Athawale said.