‘Guess How Many Seats Congress Won’: PM Modi’s Ballot Paper Jibe at Congress Over MLC Election Results

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, October 28, took a swipe at the Congress over its performance in the Legislative Council (MLC) elections across four states, asking how many seats the party had won in polls conducted using ballot papers. His remarks came as the Congress failed to secure a victory in the 28-seat election cycle across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka, according to reports published on Wednesday.

Modi’s remarks carry a political edge amid the Congress’s criticism of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and its allegations of electoral irregularities. The MLC results have given the BJP an opportunity to challenge the Congress’s arguments by highlighting the party’s performance in elections conducted through paper ballots. MLC Election Results 2026: Congress Draws a Blank Across Four States as BJP-JD(S) Sweeps Karnataka.

PM Modi’s ‘How Many Seats Did Congress Win?’ Swipe

Referring to the Legislative Council elections, Modi questioned the Congress’s electoral performance despite the use of ballot papers. His remarks focused on the party’s inability to win seats in the four-state contest. The BJP has used the results to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party’s allegations of vote theft and concerns over the electoral process. BJP leaders have argued that the Congress’s poor performance in ballot-paper elections undermines its criticism of EVM-based polls.

PM Modi Takes Dig at Congress Over MLC Poll Results

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? 🧐

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 28, 2026

Congress Draws a Blank in Four-State MLC Elections

The elections covered 28 Legislative Council seats across four states: 11 in Uttar Pradesh, eight in Bihar, five in Maharashtra and four in Karnataka. Polling took place on October 23, with counting beginning on October 27. The elections used ballot papers rather than EVMs. However, the zero-seat tally needs context: Congress did not field a candidate in Uttar Pradesh. It contested seats in the other three states but failed to win any, according to reports available on Wednesday.

BJP-JD(S) Sweep Karnataka MLC Polls

The biggest setback for Congress came in Karnataka, where the ruling party failed to win any of the four seats. The BJP won three constituencies, while its ally Janata Dal (Secular) secured the Bengaluru Teachers’ seat. JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes. The BJP retained the North-East Teachers’, South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’ constituencies, dealing a blow to the Congress leadership in the state.

What Happened in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar?

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won four seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured victories in the Varanasi and Agra teachers’ constituencies. Counting continued in other constituencies, with allegations of irregularities adding to political tensions.

Bihar also saw a setback for Congress. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party won the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency, defeating former Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha. The RJD, BJP and an Independent candidate also secured victories in constituencies where results had been reported, while counting continued elsewhere.

Why the Ballot Paper Remark Matters

The BJP’s criticism comes amid Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of irregularities in India’s electoral process and the Congress’s campaign against alleged vote theft. BJP leaders have argued that Congress’s performance in ballot-paper elections weakens its political argument against EVM-based voting.

The MLC results, however, should be assessed within their electoral context. Teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies have a more limited electorate than general Assembly constituencies, and their results do not automatically reflect voting preferences across an entire state.

For the BJP, the results provide a fresh political attack line against Congress. For Congress, the failure to win any of the seats it contested across Karnataka, Bihar and Maharashtra represents a setback, particularly in Karnataka, where it is the ruling party.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2026 06:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).