New Delhi:
Rahul Gandhi's 'Amul babies' recorded a mixed performance in the Assembly elections in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu whose results were declared on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi had fielded candidates of his choice especially in Kerala where Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan called them 'Amul babies' after his age came in for some carping comment from the Congress leader.
Gandhi had fielded the maximum number of 18 candidates including state Youth Congress president Vishnunath and NSUI president Hibi Eden there.
Gandhi had also addressed an election rally in Eden's constituency at Ernakulam. Both Eden and Vishunath won; others who won included V T Balram and Anwar Sadat.
However, a large chunk of the young Turks could not win there.
His candidates were defeated in Ambalapuzha, Udumbanchola, Chalakudy, Koilandi, Chattannoor, Chadayamangalam and Kundara.
Gandhi had evinced keen interest in Kerala elections, particularly in the victory of the young candidates.
Last month, he had also sent five panels of Youth Congress leaders to Kerala to assess the involvement of leaders of Youth Congress and Kerala Students' Union (KSU), the students' wing of the party in Kerala, in the campaign for the Assembly election.
In a photo-finish, Congress-led UDF unseated CPM-led LDF, winning 72 seats in the 140-member Assembly, the thinnest majority margin in the last four decades.
In West Bengal, where Congress has secured 40 seats and led in one, Gandhi had fielded six candidates of his choice.
Of this, at least four, including Sabeena Yasmeen, Umapado Bauri, Isa Khan and Youth Congress leader Pratima Rajak have won.
In Tamil Nadu, where Congress could win only five seats, all the candidates fielded from Rahul Brigade have lost the election.
Jothi Mani, Youth Congress General Secretary and Rahul Gandhi's aide, lost to AIADMK candidate in Karur while Tamil Nadu Youth Congress chief M Yuvraj also bit the dust.
Mahendran, a Youth Congress National Secretary who sought the mandate from Peravurani, also ended up a loser.