As the BJP heads for a clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the people’s mandate has to be accepted.

“We accept the people’s mandate with humility. The Congress has always worked to build a strong democracy. I thank the people of the state and Congress workers for peaceful participation in polling,” Gehlot said.

The Chief Minister said the party workers had worked hard to take policies, principles and programmes of the Congress under the leadership of party president Rahul Gandhi to the people, but they need not get disheartened.

Gehlot said the country was supreme for the Congress, whereas for the BJP coming into power was more important.

The Congress president fought the elections on issues of public welfare and development, but Narendra Modi flouted the Election Commission’s model code of conduct and polarised the elections in the name of religion, caste and the army’s valour, Gehlot said.

He said Modi did not answer questions on the election promises made in 2014, whereas the Congress sought votes for development and public welfare. The BJP had won all 25 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections too.