NEW DELHI: After its crushing defeat in the Gujarat Assembly elections, the Congress on Thursday said that it has accepted the mandate and “will rectify its shortcomings”. Though the grand old party suffered a humiliating defeat in Gujarat, its win in Himachal Pradesh came as a huge relief.
On the Gujarat debacle, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Victory and defeat happen in a democracy and it is not permanent. We’ll continue to fight our battle. It is our ideological fight. It’s a long journey and we’ll rectify our shortcomings.”
On the Himachal win, Kharge said the Bharat Jodo Yatra has contributed to its victory. He also credited Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi for the victory in the hill state. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra, said the party will continue to fight for the ideals of the country as well as the rights of the people of the state. “We humbly accept the mandate of the people of Gujarat. We will reorganise and work hard,” he said.