PM Modi Takes Aim at Opposition Over Ballot-Paper MLC Polls

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-29 13:19:00

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a direct political critique against the Congress following the outcome of biennial Legislative Council elections across four major states. Highlighting that the elections were conducted entirely through physical paper ballots—fulfilling a long-standing procedural demand often raised by opposition groups critical of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)—the Prime Minister called attention to the opposition party’s inability to secure a single Upper House seat across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Karnataka. The remarks have intensified national debate over voting methods, with ruling coalition leaders questioning the opposition's ongoing narratives surrounding voting technologies and electoral legitimacy.

PM Modi's Post on X: Turning the Spotlight on Ballot Paper Elections

The Prime Minister took to social media platform X on Wednesday to deliver a pointed message on the election results:

The Viral Question: Drawing attention to the voting format, PM Modi wrote: "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 Monocle Emoji Post: Accompanying his statement with a monocle emoji, the Prime Minister highlighted the contrast between the opposition's procedural demands for paper ballots and their performance in the four-state council polls.

Reframing the Voting Technology Debate: Political observers noted that the remarks directly challenged the argument that unfavorable electoral verdicts stem from electronic tallying, showing that paper ballots produced identical challenges for the opposition.

Four-State Council Breakdown: Congress Faces Setbacks in Key Strongholds

The biennial Upper House elections, conducted on October 23 across Teachers' and Graduates' constituencies, yielded decisive shifts among regional competitors:

Karnataka Upset: In Karnataka, where the Congress currently holds executive power, the ruling party failed to open its account. The National Democratic Alliance swept the segment, with the BJP securing three seats and ally Janata Dal (Secular) winning one.

Maharashtra Tally: In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi divided the field without a Congress victory. The BJP won one seat and led in another, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena led in one, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) secured one win and led another.

Uttar Pradesh Contests: Across 11 Graduate and Teacher seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP took the lead by winning four seats and leading in two, while the Samajwadi Party secured two wins and three leads, leaving the Congress without legislative representation.

Bihar Election Outcomes: Jan Suraaj Wins Maiden Seat Alongside BJP and JD(U)

The results across eight Upper House constituencies in Bihar highlighted widespread political diversity across the legislative floor:

BJP Key Victories: BJP nominee Narendra Prasad Singh emerged victorious in the Tirhut Teachers' segment, while Sarvesh Singh maintained the advantage in Darbhanga Graduates and Dr. N.K. Yadav led in Kosi Graduates.

Allies and Opposition Wins: The Janata Dal (United) retained the Patna Graduates seat through Neeraj Kumar, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Dr. Sanjeev Kumar secured the Patna Teachers' seat.

Independent and Jan Suraaj Gains: The newly formed Jan Suraaj Party registered its first legislative victory with candidate Dr. Suresh Prasad Ray winning the Darbhanga Teachers' constituency. Independent candidate Vanshidhar Brajwasi led in Tirhut Graduates, while independent candidate Rahul Raj secured the Saran Teachers' constituency.

Previous Post

India's major success, DRDO successfully tests hypersonic missile technology