BJP virtually accepts defeat

BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj told reporters that his party had failed to perform as expected in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

At the same time, the Congress had gained enormously over the Third Front in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, he said.

For these reasons, the Congress tally and the UPA tally is better than the NDA tally," he said.

Punj said the BJP parliamentary party would meet later Saturday to analyse the election results.