Close on the heels of exit polls results predicting decimation of the ruling Congress Party and the best-ever performance by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ministers and senior leaders of the Congress on Tuesday indulged in a “hands-off Rahul Gandhi” campaign in a bid to pre-empt and nip in the bud any possible criticism of the Gandhi scion.

The strong defense of Rahul put up by Congress leaders shows that the 43-year-old Congress vice president will continue to be the face of the party, irrespective of the final results of elections on May 16.

Sample the remarks of two union ministers, Kamal Nath and Jairam Ramesh. Nath said the “results will be based on government performance and Rahul Gandhi is not a part of the government.”

Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed had spoken in a similar vein on Monday even before the exit poll results were announced and remarked, “Rahul Gandhi is not in the government. All of us should be accountable.”

Jairam Ramesh heaped lavish praise on Rahul, remarking thus: “He (Rahul) was an indefatigable campaigner. He held 125 rallies, went to every state. He brought the spirit to our campaign.”

The BJP did not waste any time in having a dig at the Congress leaders’ save-Rahul tactics and spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, “The mantra in the Congress is to blame others in case of something bad while giving all the credit to the Congress president and vice-president. Therefore, the premier (Manmohan Singh) will be blamed and others too. There will be talk about collective responsibility”.

However, Congress, which has been in the business for over 125 years, anticipated the rival parties’ diatribe and the party president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday asked the party members to defend the prime minister even if the Congress were to perform poorly when the election results are announced on May 16. She conveyed this message to the Congress leaders at a party meeting on Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi batted strongly on behalf of Manmohan Singh at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Dr. Singh’s experienced and seasoned stewardship, his personal integrity and ability to lead the country through difficult times is noteworthy and India is proud to have earned so many laurels and respect during the ten years of his stewardship. The Congress Party, therefore, extends gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the honorable prime minister and his team for serving the nation and the party and we wish him good health and happiness,” Singhvi said. Incidentally, Manmohan Singh chaired his last Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama pledged to work closely with the new Indian government. Obama, leader of the world’s second biggest democracy, said India had “set an example for the world” as he hailed the contest as “a vibrant demonstration of our shared values of diversity and freedom.”

“We look forward to the formation of a new government once election results are announced and to working closely with India’s next administration to make the coming years equally transformative,” he added.