Rahul Gandhi way above Modi: Congress

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is no match for Rahul Gandhi, a Kerala state Congress leader said here Wednesday after the BJP was routed in the May 5 Karnataka assembly polls.

"Oh no, please do not make a comparison between Rahul and Modi as the former is far ahead of the latter, so it's pointless to make a comparison in the electoral battle in Karnataka. Rahul has won," said a pleased state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala after the BJP was voted out of power in Karnataka.

The Congress was set to win 121 seats in the 225-member assembly, official results and trends said. The Congress had bagged 113 seats to score a majority in the house, and led in eight seats at 1800 hours Wednesday, election officials said.

Chennithala, who is on a statewide yatra (tour), Wednesday reached Kottayam, the home town of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

"The victory in Karnataka is going to be a pointer to the next Lok Sabha polls and the party which thinks communally has been shown its place in Karnataka," added Chennithala.

When Chennithala's statewide yatra ends in Thiruvananthapuram May 18, Rahul Gandhi will be arriving to address the valedictory function.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to open its account in the 140-member Kerala assembly and the best performance from them was when it came runner-up in two constituencies in Kasargode district, which borders Mangalore in Karnataka.