The mood at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi is one of indifference, with most of the party leaders choosing to stay away from the party headquarters.

Senior party leader, general secretary Motilal Vora, who briefly showed up at the 24, Akbar Road headquarters, soon left for a meeting and the only Congress leader who was camping there was general secretary Ashok Gehlot. However, he excused himself, saying he had nothing to do with the Bihar election and was not competent to speak on the outcome.

When contacted over the phone, official spokesman Anand Sharma said he would be in a better position to react to the result later.

The Congress, which is in alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, has retained the 10 seats it had won in February and is expected to gain one or two more seats. However, the party was expecting to double its tally, which does not seem likely now.

Complete coverage: Bihar elections