New Delhi: Conceding defeat in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and the country overall, AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the media here on Thursday evening, congratulated BJP candidate Smriti Irani and Prime Minister Narendra on the NDA’s resounding victory.
Speaking to press persons after the party’s poor performance across the country, Rahul said, “I had said during my election campaigns that the public is the ruler. The public has chosen Modi and I congratulate him.”
He also congratulated his opponent, Smriti Irani, for her victory against him in Amethi and expressed his hope that she will take “care of Amethi”. The Amethi seat has traditionally gone to the Gandhi family.
He, however, refused to state what went wrong for the party, and suggested that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) would decide whether he would continue as the party chief. Putting on a bold face , he added, “Frankly, today is the not the day to discuss what I think went wrong because the people of India have clearly decided that Narendra Modi is going to be their Prime Minister and as an Indian, I respect that.”
He concluded by saying that his party’s fight against the BJP was ideological and that it will continue. He also asked the party cadres to keep fighting for the Congress ideology.
Smriti Irani is currently leading over Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, however, around 3,00,000 votes are yet to be counted.
In Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, however, the AICC chief is currently leading over CPI’s P P Suneer with a margin of over 4 lakh votes.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has denied reports of Rahul offering to resign.
With inputs from IANS
