New Delhi: Conceding defeat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulated Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for their landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls, and said his party will continue to fight the ideological battle with the saffron party.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, he said the Congress Working Committee will meet soon and decide on whether he should resign as party chief following the electoral debacle. The Congress could manage to add only a few seats to its 2014 Lok Sabha tally of 44 seats.
“I congratulate Narendra Modiji and BJP for their electoral victory. People of India have decided that Narendra Modi will be the PM again and I fully respect that,” Rahul said. “The Congress will continue to fight its ideological battle with BJP in a united fashion,” he added, asking the party workers not to be afraid.
Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Smriti Irani on her victory in Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh from where he had won for three consecutive terms since 2004.
Rahul’s sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the party fully respects the decision of the people and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for their victory in Lok Sabha polls.
“It is the people’s decision and we fully respect it. We congratulate the BJP workers, leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Priyanka told reporters at the AICC headquarters here.
Agencies