‘Guess How Many Seats Congress Won’: PM's Taunt With Emoji After MLC Polls In 4 States

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress over its performance in the Legislative Council elections held across four states, pointing out that the polls were conducted using ballot papers, a method frequently demanded by opposition parties questioning the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

In a post on X, PM Modi referred to the elections for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka and asked how many seats the Congress had won. The party failed to secure a single seat in the contests, dealing a setback to its electoral performance across the four states.

“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, adding a thinking-face emoji to his post.

The remark appeared to draw attention to the contrast between the Congress's demand for ballot-paper voting and its performance in elections conducted through that method.

Congress Draws A Blank In Four-State MLC Polls

The biennial Legislative Council elections covered 28 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Voting took place on October 23, with counting beginning on October 27 and results emerging on October 28.

The elections were held for graduates' and teachers' constituencies, whose electorates comprise registered voters belonging to these categories. Unlike regular Assembly elections, these contests involve a more restricted electorate and use ballot papers, with preferential voting playing a role in determining some results.

Karnataka delivered a particularly significant setback for the Congress, which is in power in the state. The BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance won all four seats, with the BJP retaining three constituencies and the JD(S) winning the Bengaluru Teachers' seat from the Congress.

JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna in the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency by 908 votes. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna's 9,902.

The BJP retained the North-East Teachers', South-East Graduates' and West Graduates' constituencies, further consolidating the alliance's performance in the state.

In Bihar, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party registered its first Legislative Council victory after candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha in the Darbhanga Teachers' constituency by 324 votes.

The results in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra also dealt a blow to the Congress, although counting was continuing in some constituencies as results emerged.

Ballot Papers At Centre Of Political Dig

PM Modi's remarks came amid the Congress and other opposition parties repeatedly raising concerns over the electoral process and demanding greater scrutiny of EVMs. Opposition leaders have called for a return to ballot-paper voting as part of their broader campaign over alleged irregularities in elections.

By highlighting that the MLC elections were conducted using ballot papers, the Prime Minister used the Congress's performance to question the party's electoral outcome in these contests.

The results, however, involve graduates' and teachers' constituencies and a limited electorate, meaning they do not directly reflect voting preferences across the general population of the four states.

The Congress's failure to win a seat across the 28 constituencies nevertheless marks a setback for the party, particularly in Karnataka, where it holds power and lost a seat previously represented by one of its sitting MLCs.

PM Modi's post brought the election results and the opposition's demand for ballot-paper voting into the political spotlight, with the Congress yet to register a victory in the four-state contests.

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