Cong won in elections because people questioning Modi's clean image: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan elections, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party governments (BJP) was defeated because Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to listen to the "heartbeat of the country".

Gandhi, who was speaking at a press conference in Delhi, said the Modi government had ignored unemployment and farmers' distress. "With the resurgent Congress party and the Opposition it will be very difficult for the government to win elections (in 2019). The message is quite clear that people are not happy with the government," he said.

"The Congress won because the people are now questioning PM Modi's clean image. He refused to listen to the heartbeat of the country," he said.

Gandhi thanked the BJP chief ministers of the three states for their work and said his party's governments will do "an excellent job".

The Congress was ahead in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, but was locked in a see-saw contest in Madhya Pradesh as votes were counted in five states.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi returned to power in Telangana and the Mizo National Front won in Mizoram.