Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress over its performance in Legislative Council elections across four states, pointing out that the polls were conducted using ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The Congress failed to win any of the 12 seats it contested in the elections covering 28 constituencies across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka, according to results reported by Wednesday evening. The party had previously held four of the seats it contested.
In a post on X, Modi drew attention to the voting method, apparently targeting the Congress over its repeated criticism of EVMs and demands for a return to paper ballots.
"MLC elections in 28 seats across 4 big states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. Elections held using ballot papers. Guess how many seats Congress won?" the Prime Minister wrote, accompanying the post with a monocle emoji.
𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
The Congress suffered a setback in Karnataka, where it is in power, as the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance won all four Legislative Council seats.
The BJP retained three constituencies, while the JD(S) wrested the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency from the Congress. JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes.
The outcome prompted discussion within the state Congress over its performance, with the party indicating that it would review the results.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP had secured at least five seats and the Samajwadi Party three, according to results available on Wednesday evening, while counting continued in some constituencies.
𝗝𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗮𝗷 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗿
In Bihar, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party registered its first Legislative Council victory, defeating Congress incumbent Madan Mohan Jha in the Darbhanga constituency.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also registered a victory, while the BJP and an Independent candidate secured seats as the results reflected a divided electoral contest.
In Maharashtra, counting continued for five Legislative Council seats, with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance leading in three constituencies and the opposition NCP (SP) ahead in two, according to trends reported during the day.
Polling for the 28 graduates' and teachers' constituencies was conducted on October 23, with counting beginning on October 27.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱
The Prime Minister's remarks came amid the Congress's continuing allegations of electoral irregularities and its campaign questioning the reliability of EVMs.
Congress leaders rejected Modi's criticism and reiterated their demand for greater use of ballot papers in elections.
Party leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the government's position on EVMs, while Congress MP Pramod Tiwari called for forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to be conducted using ballot papers.
The Congress has maintained that its concerns relate to transparency and public confidence in the electoral process, rather than the outcome of any particular election.
𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
Unlike Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Legislative Council elections from graduates' and teachers' constituencies are conducted using ballot papers because voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Voting is also restricted to eligible electors registered in the respective graduates' and teachers' constituencies, rather than the general electorate.
The political exchange comes days before the INDIA bloc's planned November 1 rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where opposition parties are expected to raise concerns about electoral roll revisions and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Modi's remarks added a fresh dimension to the dispute over voting methods, while Congress leaders maintained that their demand for ballot-based elections remained unchanged despite the Legislative Council results.