New Delhi, October 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress after the party failed to win any seats in the recent Legislative Council elections across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, where voting was conducted using ballot papers.
Elections were held for 28 Legislative Council constituencies across the four states, with counting beginning on October 27. The Congress contested 12 seats but failed to secure a victory, according to reports. The party had previously held four of the seats it contested.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, Modi highlighted the use of ballot papers and questioned the Congress's performance, asking how many seats the party had won in elections conducted using the voting method it has advocated.
The remarks came amid the Congress's criticism of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and its demands for greater electoral transparency, including calls to return to ballot-paper voting in elections.
Karnataka proved particularly challenging for the Congress, which lost all four seats in the state. The BJP retained three constituencies, while its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), won the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency, previously held by the Congress.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and Samajwadi Party secured victories in several constituencies. Bihar also witnessed gains for other political parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party.
The results have renewed political debate over voting methods and the Congress's electoral performance. The BJP is likely to use the outcome to question the opposition party's arguments against EVMs, while the Congress's broader concerns about electoral transparency remain a separate issue.
However, the Legislative Council elections were held in graduate and teacher constituencies, which have a much smaller and more specific electorate than general elections.
The outcome offers a snapshot of party performance among these voters but does not, by itself, settle the wider debate over electronic voting machines, ballot papers or electoral integrity in India.
Political reactions are expected to continue as parties assess the results and their implications for future electoral contests.
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