Raichur, Mar 26 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the defeat of the Congress in the assembly elections held recently in three northeastern states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura indicated the party's political downfall under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

He said this while speaking after the foundation stone laying ceremony and inauguration function for several projects at Gabbur village in Raichur district of Karnataka.

With Karnataka Assembly polls due in the next few weeks, Shah targetted the Congress party on corruption and development issues.

"When the Congress was ruling the state, it treated Karnataka as an ATM. The party neglected development works in the state. How can the Congress develop the state?" he wondered.

Cautioning against the coalition governments of the type that the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular had formed, Shah urged the people to vote the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power with a clear majority.