PM Modi Mocks Congress Over MLC Poll Results, Revives Ballot Paper Debate

‘Guess How Many Seats Congress Won’: PM Modi Takes Ballot Paper Jibe After MLC Poll Results

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a sarcastic swipe at the Congress after the party failed to win any seats in Karnataka’s Legislative Council elections. Highlighting that the polls were conducted using ballot papers, Modi questioned the Congress’s performance amid the Opposition’s demand to replace electronic voting machines (EVMs) with paper ballots.

The remarks followed the announcement of results for biennial elections to 28 Legislative Council constituencies across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. Voting took place on October 23, with counting beginning on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Modi referred to the elections held across the four states and pointed out that ballot papers had been used. He then asked how many seats the Congress had won, turning the party’s electoral performance into a political counter to the Opposition’s criticism of EVMs.

Congress Fails To Open Its Account In Karnataka
The Congress failed to secure a single seat in Karnataka, where four Legislative Council constituencies went to the polls.

The Janata Dal (Secular) won the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency, while the BJP retained the North-East Teachers’, South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’ constituencies.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won five seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured three, according to the results announced on Wednesday.

The outcome in Karnataka became the focus of Modi’s remarks, with the Prime Minister using the results to question the Congress’s performance in an election conducted through paper ballots.

Bihar And Maharashtra Results
The elections also covered teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies in Bihar and Maharashtra, where the results offered a varied picture for the contesting parties.

In Bihar, the Jan Suraaj Party opened its account, while the BJP, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and an Independent candidate each won one seat.

In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in three constituencies, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) was ahead in two, according to the reported trends.

The elections were held across 28 upper-house constituencies in the four states, with voting restricted to eligible graduates and teachers registered in the respective constituencies.

Why Modi Brought Up Ballot Papers
The Prime Minister’s comments came amid continued demands by the Congress and several other Opposition parties for a return to paper ballots instead of EVMs. Opposition leaders have questioned aspects of the electronic voting system and called for changes to the electoral process.

By highlighting the Congress’s performance in ballot-paper elections, Modi sought to challenge the party’s argument in the ongoing political debate over voting methods.

Unlike Lok Sabha and most state Assembly elections, which use EVMs, Legislative Council elections for graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies are conducted using ballot papers.

The results have added another political exchange to the continuing debate between the BJP and the Opposition over the credibility and conduct of elections in India.