Everyone got swept by Modi wave, Congress survived: Salman Khurshid

The popularity of PM Modi was such that no other leader or party was able to withstand it in recently concluded polls, however, Congress managed to survive, said Khurshid.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity across India and said it was the Modi wave that helped the Bharatiya Janata Party return to power with an even bigger mandate this Lok Sabha election. (PTI)

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity across India and said it was the Modi wave that helped the Bharatiya Janata Party return to power with an even bigger mandate this Lok Sabha election. The popularity of PM Modi was such that no other leader or party was able to withstand it in recently concluded polls, however, Congress managed to survive, said Khurshid. "What I know today is that elections were straight and in the elections the popularity of Narendra Modi was such that no one was able to withstand it. You call it Tsunami in which washed away everything along with it," said Khurshid while talking to reporters on Saturday. He said that Congress managed to survive the Modi wave. "But still we survived and are alive," he said. "If I refuse to accept the popularity of Prime Minister then it means that I am refusing the elections," he said.

Salman Khurshid, Congress: Aaj toh hum yehi jante hai chunav hua aur chunav mein PM ki lokpriyata itni thi ke uske samne koi khada nahi ho paya. Lekin ek achi baat hai ki Tsunami aaya usne sab kuch baha diya lekin kam se kam hum zinda rahe aur aapse baat toh kar sakte hai. pic.twitter.com/hoFyrHCCZh

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 22, 2019

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Congress was only able to marginally increase its tally from 44 (in 2014) to 52 in the 540-odd-member lower house. Besides, Rahul Gandhi, who contested from his pocket borough of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, lost to Union Minister Smriti Irani. Gandhi had offered to quit the top post after the Congress's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections to which Khurshid had said that the party cannot afford to let Rahul Gandhi quit the president's post since it will be difficult to replace him. (with inputs from agencies)