Result will be collective responsibility: Congress leaders

Another Congress leader, who did not want to be quoted, however said that speculation about Rahul Gandhi being shielded was "nonsense".

He said that the party did not believe in the veracity of opinion polls and exit polls which had written the party off in 2004 and 2009.

"I still believe that the development in 10 years of Congress rule has reached the rural masses. While I would not say that the opinion polls are completely wrong, they are not taking into account that the rural population has benefited from schemes. The Congress provided inclusive growth for the first time," he said.

He said Congress was acceptable to almost every other party but that was not the case with BJP.

He said that the party would take collective responsibility for results.