NEW DELHI, May 23 (Xinhua) -- One of the main opposition leaders and Indian National Congress (INC) president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday conceded defeat and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in the just-concluded 17th General Elections.
"The BJP and the INC have different ideologies and visions. Modi and the BJP have their ideology, and the INC has its own. We will continue with our ideology and vision. There are many people in the country who believe in the INC's ideologies and policies," said Gandhi while speaking with his partymen.
Gandhi also congratulated his arch rival and Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani who defeated him in the Amethi parliamentary constituency in northern state of Uttar Pradesh. "I congratulate Smriti Irani, and I hope she will take care of Amethi constituency," he said.