New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday termed the Lok Sabha elections outcome a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a political and moral defeat of the BJP.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the results are a victory of the people and of democracy. The BJP-led NDA was ahead in over 290 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc was leading in 232 parliamentary seats.

"This is public's result and public's and democracy's victory. We had been saying that this battle is between public and Modi. We humbly accept the people's mandate," Kharge told reporters at the AICC headquarters flanked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Kharge said the voters did not give a complete majority to any single party, particularly the BJP that sought votes on the basis of 'one person, one face'. "This is their (BJP's) political and moral defeat," he said.