This Article is From Oct 19, 2014

Rahul Gandhi Congratulates BJP, Says People Voted for Change in Maharashtra, Haryana

Rahul Gandhi Congratulates BJP, Says People Voted for Change in Maharashtra, Haryana

Rahul Gandhi surveys damage caused by Cyclone HudHud in Visakhapatnam

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi today congratulated the BJP on winning two major states ruled by his Congress party, saying that people had voted for change.

 "We accept the verdict of people. People have voted for change, after 15 years of our government in Maharashtra and 10 years in Haryana. I congratulate the BJP on their success. The Congress Party will work hard on the ground to once again earn the confidence of the people," said the 44-year-old Congress vice president.

Before the statement, Mr Gandhi's silence was noted on social media as "Where is Rahul Gandhi?" became a trending topic.

As his party coped with another debacle today, Mr Gandhi was touring Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, which was battered by Cyclone Hudhud last weekend.

As in the national election, the Congress has been decimated in Maharashtra and Haryana; the party was third in Haryana and fighting for the third spot with the NCP in Maharashtra.

Perhaps in anticipation of what it described as anti-incumbency, the party had started fortifying its chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, her son and deputy, from any blame.

"These are state elections and they are not a reflection on the national leadership of any party," PC Chacko, senior Congress spokesperson has said.

After Rahul Gandhi led the Congress to its worst defeat in the May national election, the party had rejected his resignation offer and asserted that it was collective failure.  

Mr Gandhi wasn't the face of the party's campaign in Maharashtra and Haryana and addressed only about a dozen rallies. In Maharashtra, he addressed four rallies compared to Mr Modi's 27.

Despite efforts to insulate its young leader from awkward comparisons with PM Modi, the Congress was embarrassed by its own workers who gathered outside the party headquarters with placards saying: "Priyanka Lao, Congress Bachao (Bring Priyanka, save Congress)."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi's sister, has declined reports that she is ready to take on a larger role in the party.
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