Chandigarh, June 15 (IANS): Underlining that votes polled in favour of the BJP in Punjab in the Lok Sabha polls is a step towards the party's bigger role, state BJP President Sunil Jakhar said on Saturday the party's vote bank has increased to 18.5 from 6.5 per cent.

He said a significantly higher voter percentage showed the party has "done better and needs to keep working hard to achieve its aim of serving the state in the next Assembly polls".

"We have done better in Lok Sabha polls but better is not enough and we need to succeed more to serve the state in 2027," Jakhar told the media here while accepting that the results of traditional seats of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur were not on expected lines.

"We have secured over 18.5 per cent of votes from our earlier performance of 6.5 per cent, which shows we have done better and people of all communities have voted for the BJP," said Jakhar, expressing gratitude to party workers, leaders and people for their support.

"We have identified mandals (constituencies) in which we have performed exceedingly well and the party will honour our mandal and booth pradhans (heads) with Sammaan Patras," he said.

Jakhar, amid the presence of Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Bittu, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inclusion of the latter in the Union Cabinet.

"Ravneet Bittu's induction reflects the PM's special focus on Punjab," Jakhar said.

Underlining that people's trust in the BJP in Punjab has lent greater responsibility to the party, Jakhar said though the BJP at present has two legislators in the Assembly, it will play the role of true Opposition to "expose the illegal nexus" between AAP and Congress.