New Delhi, Mar 6 (IANS): With the Congress nowhere near power in Uttar Pradesh, union minister Salman Khurshid Tuesday said the party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi has made a difference to the state and he will have no regrets.

"It was his decision and he has led us from the front. I am sure when he will speak to you, he will have no regrets…please remember what he said, 'I am here for the long race and I am here for the long haul'," Khurshid told reporters here.

The law minister said Gandhi "has already made a difference to Uttar Pradesh. He may not have made difference to our comfort level and the number of seats we would have like to see, but he has made a difference", he said.

The Congress, for which Gandhi had campaigned extensively, was behind the Samajwadi Party as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as votes were counted Tuesday.

Refusing to hold anyone one personally responsible for the party's performance in the state, Khurshid said: "Elections are not about responsibility. We will analyse why we have been defeated and the ground realities."

"I think we went with an agenda to change the landscape for Uttar Pradesh, of course we wanted our colours on the landscape, but the vote share has increased 16-17 percent. We have to work beyond this towards future," he said.