Rahul Gandhi said, "The Congress has fought for the issues of the poor".
Congress's Rahul Gandhi congratulated the people of Karnataka, where his party looks set to form the next government with a massive victory. "The market of hate has been shut, and shops of love have opened," he told cheering party workers at the Congress office in New Delhi.
In Karnataka polls, "the power of poor people" have won, he said. "This will be repeated in other states too. The Congress has fought for the issues of the poor," he added, promising that the party will fulfill the five promises it made in the first cabinet meeting of its government.
The Congress, which is leading in nearly 140 seats, appears set to exceed the 120-seat expectation expressed by its former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The BJP's Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has conceded defeat, with his party leading in only 60-plus seats in the 244-member assembly.
Mr Gandhi had camped in the state for 22 days during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, to which many in the Congress attributed the victory. The yatra has entered Karnataka on September 30 last year and passed through Chamarajanagara, Mysuru, Mandya, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Bellary and Raichur, covering more than 500 km in about 22 days.
"It was the Sanjeevini for the party. It energised the organisation and instilled a deep sense of unity and solidarity among leaders and workers," senior party leader Jairam Ramesh was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.
"The Bharat Jodo Yatra started a particular narrative in Indian politics which the people of India were waiting for," said Pawan Khera.
Coming ahead of next year's general election, the victory in the Karnataka assembly polls has elated the Congress.
Describing the results as a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Siddaramaiah said, "The result of this election is a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election. I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that the BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become Prime Minister of the country".