Accepting the verdict against the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress coalition in Bihar as a "vote for change", Congress Tuesday said the division in the "secular vote" was the primary reason for the setback.

• Bihar Elections 2005

"People have voted for a change and we accept it. This is the best way to change a government in a democracy," Congress spokesperson Ambika Soni told reporters in New Delhi.

Asked what could be the reason for the poor performance of the RJD-Congress combine, she said, "We will analyse it when the full results come out, but I can say that if a party rules for 15 years, people do want a change."

In a thinly veiled attack on Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan who had insisted on a Muslim chief minister, Soni said, "We tried our best to stop division of the secular vote. But some people seemed to have made up their mind."

Asked whether the poll outcome would affect Paswan's future in the Union Cabinet, she said, "It is not for a Congress spokesperson to comment on this. Such decisions are taken by the prime minister in consultation with the United Progressive Alliance chairperson and others."

However, Soni said the Bihar poll outcome would have no impact on the Centre. "Even when National Democratic Alliance was in power, they lost several states but this did not affect their government."