State party chief Bharatsinh Solanki’s office remained locked throughout the day, while no other senior leader turned up at the party office. In an official party release, Solanki conceded defeat, adding that he took full responsibility for it.

Senior party leader Arjun Modhwadia, who won from Porbandar, said the Congress would do introspection to determine why it lost when the party’s position appeared to be quite strong.

Uniform Applause

Congress: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was among the first to call up Narendra Modi to congratulate him. Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “It is a great victory for him. It is a remarkable victory.”

Left: Expressed concern over the rise of “communal politics”. “The results show that where the impact of communal politics is deep, electoral efforts alone are insufficient to defeat the communal forces,” the CPI(M) said in a statement.

Lalu Prasad: Calling Modi’s victory “spectacular”, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said the Congress’s defeat reflected “some flaws” in the party’s electoral strategy, including giving nomination to BJP rebels.

Karunanidhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi reacted cautiously to the results. “The Congress has won more seats this time than the last polls,” he said when his reaction was sought on the BJP’s victory.

Jayalalithaa: Profuse in her praise for Modi, the AIADMK chief said in her message: “Your spectacular victory has brought hope and cheer to the vast majority of people in this nation who now believe that all is not lost and that India can still be saved from the clutches of unscrupulous power mongers.”

... contd.