Dhaka, May 23 -- Rahul Gandhi, president of the Congress party, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening for his spectacular re-election and asked him to "take care of the interests of the country"; the 48-year-old also conceded defeat in Amethi, asking political opponent and BJP leader Smriti Irani to "nurture with love" the constituency that has been his family stronghold for nearly four decades.

On a day that saw Mr Modi, 68, return to power with numbers that surpass his record mandate of 2014, Mr Gandhi said he would not take questions about his own accountability for his party's crushing defeat - the Congress is placed to win just 52 seats as compared to 44 in the last general election. "Today is not the day for that,...