A Congress meet to analyse the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections began on Wednesday in Mehsana district, PTI reported. The three-day conclave will move to Ahmedabad on Friday, where Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address party workers.

The Congress won 77 seats in the Gujarat elections, increasing its tally from the 61 seats it bagged in 2012. The Bharatiya Janata Party retained the state for a sixth time, winning 99 seats – seven more than the majority mark of 92.

“The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee has organised the ‘chintan shivir’ [introspection camp] with the aim of discussing the Assembly poll results and to provide a road-map to strengthen the organisation and increase its connect with the people, keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki said.

“Both in terms of seats and campaigning, the Congress performed wonderfully well,” said Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary and election in-charge for Gujarat. “Although we could not form the government, a message has been sent across that the BJP can have a tough time fighting the Congress even in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah”.

Senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said the party could have formed the government if it had not been defeated by small margins in 16 seats.