Patna: Senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Saturday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi was a "non-serious leader" who abandons his party workers, as his party won Tripura and came out strong in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

"Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a non-serious leader who flees to foreign shores. No leader in the country abandons party workers at the time of defeat and runs away," Union minister Giriraj said at the state BJP headquarters in Patna.

"Rahul knows when to run away. He is not a political person. He cannot take political stress. This is the reason he has flown off to a foreign country," Giriraj said.

On the evening of March 1, Rahul had tweeted: "My Nani is 93. She's the kindest soul ever. This Holi weekend, I'm going to surprise her! I can't wait to give her a hug...."

Rahul's grandmother lives in Italy.

Celebrations broke out in Patna as the BJP won Tripura - a Left bastion for the past 25 years. The party has also shown a strong performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai, health minister Mangal Pandey, Kumhrar MLA Arun Sinha, also the chief whip in the Assembly, leaders and supporters smeared gulal on each other and burst crackers in joy.

Giriraj continued to slam Rahul as he said: "Rahul can very well escape the country during defeat because he is a leader by 'birth' and a leader of the people."

The Congress' performance in the Northeast shook the "Grand Alliance" of the RJD and Congress in Bihar.

RJD general secretary Shivanand Tiwari said: "The Congress needs to deeply think over and analyse the results of the Northeast polls. The BJP has become stronger there but this will not have any impact on the 2019 general elections."

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president in-charge Kaukab Quadri said his party had performed well in Meghalaya in spite of winning fewer seats than the last time.

"The BJP benefited from anti-incumbency factor in Tripura," Quadri reasoned.

Ashok Choudhary, who has now joined chief minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United, however, blamed All India Congress Committee general secretary C.P. Joshi for his former party's poor show in the Northeast.

"Wherever Joshi will be in charge, the Congress will face a similar situation. The party has no place for dedicated workers," Choudhary, a former Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president, said.