Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted the Congress will "continue to fulfill the duty of opposition"
Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, tasked by her brother Rahul Gandhi four years ago to build up the party in Uttar Pradesh for this assembly election, has ended up presiding over one of its worst defeats. Not only did it lose five seats in the state sliding from seven to 2 seats, its voteshare was also reduced to a paltry 2.5 per cent, prompting a dig from an Aam Aadmi Party leader that the Congress should now quit politics. AAP decimated the Congress in Punjab, one of the three states the Grand Old Party ruled.
In a series of tweets in the evening, Ms Gandhi Vadra said the party has been unable to "convert our hard work into votes".
"The vote of the people is paramount in a democracy. Our workers and leaders worked hard, formed the organization, fought on the issues of the people. But, we were not able to convert our hard work into votes," read one of her tweets.
In a second post, she said the Congress is following a "positive agenda for the betterment of UP and the public" and will "continue to fulfill the duty of a battle-ready opposition with full responsibility".
Ms Gandhi Vadra had contested the polls on a women-oriented campaign, titled "Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon (I'm a girl and can fight)".
But today, the BJP thanked the state's women for their vote, indicating that they had earned the gratitude and trust of the women with their welfare schemes and steps to improve law and order in the state.
In his victory speech, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "We have worked to empower women and ensure justice for them across the board. Our schemes have helped women set up businesses. This shows the kind of work we stand for and also deliver. This is what we will continue to do".
In the morning, Ms Gandhi Vadra's brother Rahul Gandhi had tweeted his regrets.
"Humbly accept the people's verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India," read the post from the 51-year-old, who despite stepping down from the party's top post after the drubbing in the a2019 polls, continues to be involved in all its key decisions.