BJP mocks Congress over ballot‑paper MLC wins, says “Button or ballot, result is the same”

Summary

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used the recent Legislative Council (MLC) elections – held on October 23 in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka – to ridicule the Congress Party’s long‑standing demand for a return to paper ballots. All 28 seats were contested on ballot paper, and the Congress failed to win any, while the BJP‑JD(S) alliance swept the four seats in Karnataka.

Election details

• States involved: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka
• Seats contested: 28 Legislative Council seats (graduates and teachers voters)
• Date of voting: 23 Oct 2026; counting began 28 Oct and continued into 29 Oct.
• Result: BJP‑JD(S) alliance won all four Karnataka seats; Congress won zero seats across all four states.

BJP’s reaction

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: “Guess how many seats Congress won?” with a sarcastic yellow‑monocle emoji.
• Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw referenced Karnataka’s ballot‑paper results at a press conference, noting the BJP’s four‑seat win.
• Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Hardeep Singh Puri, and BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi posted on X that the outcome is the same whether voting is electronic or on paper, accusing Congress of blaming the system instead of its own performance.
• Assam BJP chief Dilip Saikia highlighted that even educated graduate‑teacher voters rejected Congress, forfeiting deposits.

Congress’s position

• The party has repeatedly called for the removal of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and a return to ballot papers, a stance dating back to a 2018 resolution.
• Despite the ballot‑paper format, Congress’s failure to win any seats weakens its narrative that EVMs are the sole cause of its electoral losses.
• Party leaders have shifted from demanding a total ban on EVMs to seeking greater verification (VVPAT) while retaining electronic voting.

Implications

• The MLC polls involve a limited electorate (graduates and teachers), so results cannot be directly extrapolated to Lok Sabha or state assembly elections.
• The BJP’s use of the outcome underscores a broader strategy: turning the Congress’s own criticism of voting technology into a political weapon.
• For observers, verifying the original Election Commission results and the parties’ official statements on X (formerly Twitter) provides the most reliable source.

How to verify

1. Check the Election Commission of India’s official result portal for the 28 MLC seats.
2. Review the verified X accounts of Narendra Modi, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Pralhad Joshi, Hardeep Singh Puri, Sudhanshu Trivedi, and Dilip Saikia for their exact posts.
3. Consult reputable news outlets (e.g., India Today, The Hindustan Times) for election coverage dated 28‑29 Oct 2026.

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