NEW DELHI: While not reading too much into the party’s dismal performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday that the results clearly indicate that the people voted against the “divisive politics” of the BJP.

Saying his party is in the process of introspecting on the reasons that led to its defeat, Kharge said, “Winning and losing is part and parcel of any electoral contest. We did put in all the effort and resources that were needed to fight the (Delhi) elections. However, the results didn’t go our way.”

Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Karnataka, Kharge said, “However, what is there for all to see post the election results is that those (BJP), who fought on religion and ran a divisive campaign, got a befitting reply from voters. Despite bringing out their star campaigners, including the prime minister, home ministers, chief ministers, MPs and MLAs, they lost.”

“The people voted to keep divisive politics at bay,” he said. Quizzed on the performance of his party, Kharge said, “We’ll discuss the shortcomings that may have led to our loss at the working committee meeting.”