#Verdict2019: Congress fails to save face, Priyanka meets brother Rahul
What's the story
For both BJP and Congress, 2019 has served as a redux of 2014. While BJP swept the nation, Congress failed to resurrect itself.
As per trends, BJP is leading in 295 seats and Congress might win only 51 seats.
Amid the grim news, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra went to her brother Rahul Gandhi's home.
Here's what happened.
Contest
Rahul struggles to keep Amethi, takes lead in Wayanad
Rahul, who contested from two seats- Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Kerala's Wayanad, is struggling to retain his bastion.
The Gandhi scion is facing a strong fight from Union Minister Smriti Irani. In 2014, Rahul won Amethi by a margin of over 1,00,000 votes.
However, Rahul took a lead in Wayanad, the constituency which has been Congress' turf since decades.
Reactions
Rahul fought battle from the front: Abhishek Manu Singhvi
As Congress stares at an embarrassing defeat, leaders said the party put a good fight.
"Rahul Gandhi fought the battle from the front... He fought bravely and took on the BJP... He ran a clean campaign and was respected by many for it," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Before counting day, Rahul had asked cadres to not lose faith.
Losses
Congress couldn't even retain Hindu heartland states
It's important to note that Congress couldn't even convert its assembly wins in Hindi heartland states to Lok Sabha gains.
On December 11, 2018, Congress won Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.
But BJP is looking to sweep all the three states. The party is leading in 9 out of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh, 26 out of 29 seats in MP, and Rajasthan's 25 seats.