‘Will learn from this’, says Rahul Gandhi after big defeat in polls

The Congress is the biggest loss-sufferer with a collective lead on less than 60 seats across the five states.

Five state assembly election results rahul Gandhi reaction to big defeat

New Delhi, First Published Mar 10, 2022, 4:20 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 10, 2022, 4:20 PM IST

The BJP is heading for victory in three states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur -- and leading in Goa, as per the seemingly decisive trends. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav has managed to score a runner's up position with leads in 114 seats. In the big battle in five states, the Congress is the biggest loss-sufferer with a collective lead on less than 60 seats across the five states.

Despite Priyanka Gandhi, who was the face of the party in UP, strong development pitch, the Congress' vote share in the state has dropped to nearly 3 per cent.

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In Punjab, the party's vote share has dropped from 38.5 per cent in 2017 to 23.3 per cent in 2022. In Goa, the Congress is leading in 12 seats, 8 down from 2017.

The party's vote share in Manipur is down to half -- from 35.1% in 2017 to 17% in 2022. Going by the leads, the parties in alliance with the Congress are also looking at losses. Goa Forward Party had won 3 seats in 2017, this time in just one.

Conceding the defeat, Congress's Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Humbly accept the people's verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India."

Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi also tweeted a message for party workers, saying the fight will continue.

The state of Punjab, however, has given a decisive mandate in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party and the big leaders of Congress like Navjot Singh Sidhu and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi have lost the elections.

Just before the polls, the infighting in Punjab Congress over the post of chief minister was out in the open with Navjot Sidhu taking potshots at his own party. This, according to the experts, hit Congress's voter base. This came after Captain Amarinder, who ruled the state for four-and-a-half years under the Congress tag, parted his ways with the party over tiff with Sidhu, who was seen to be a close ally of Gandhis.

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