Congress accepts verdict of the people: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party "accepts the verdict of the people". 

The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal. 

The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80. 

Also Read: Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh

The victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats. 

In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11. 

The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats. 

"My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud," Gandhi said. 

"You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage," he added. 

Gujarat of course was the new Congress president's -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test. 

But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time. 

Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats. 

In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time. 

Gandhi's critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress's trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India's grand old party. 

Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead. 

He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat's population. 

Which, Gandhi's critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.