New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and central minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday said the party's general secretary Rahul Gandhi must be given credit for the United Progress Alliance's (UPA) "magnificent performance" in elections across the country.

“It is the surge of youth. Electors want a youthful leadership to come up and Rahul Gandhi must be given the credit for this,” Sibal told a television channel as the UPA inched towards a near-majority in the 545-seat Lok Sabha, of which 543 are elected.

Sibal said that electors had given their mandate for the leadership of both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also said people rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "ideology of hatred".

“Overall it is a vote for secularism and secularist ideology,” Mr. Sibal said.

He said the Congress, together with its alliance partners, will have a clear majority.

Source: IANS

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