The Congress has repeatedly demanded the removal of EVMs and a return to ballot papers. But its failure to win a seat in the latest MLC polls across four states has given the BJP, including PM Narendra Modi, an opportunity to mock the party's allegations of electoral irregularities.Several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took digs at the Congress over its defeat in the ballot-paper MLC elections. (File/ AI-edit) The Congress has repeatedly questioned Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanded a return to ballot papers.
But the results of the Legislative Council elections across four states, conducted on paper rolls, seem to have punctured the Congress's claims of EVM manipulation behind the BJP's latest string of electoral victories. The Congress drew a blank as results emerged for 28 seats, including four in Karnataka, where the party is in power.The verdict has given the BJP fresh ammunition to question Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of electoral irregularities and the party's repeated criticism of EVMs.Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the BJP's attack on Congress, taking a dig at the party in an unusual X post.
Pointing out that the 28 MLC seats across four states were contested using ballot papers, Modi asked, "Guess how many seats Congress won?" His post was accompanied by a yellow smiley face wearing a monocle, adding a touch of sarcasm.Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also took a dig at the Congress at an unrelated press conference, pointing to the Karnataka MLC results and saying, "Just look at what happened in Karnataka — they used ballot papers, and the BJP won all four seats..." The elections for 28 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka were held last week on October 23. Counting began on Monday and continued in some constituencies through Tuesday.By Wednesday evening, the Congress had failed to win any of the seats declared, while the BJP-JD(S)'s NDA alliance swept all four in Karnataka, even defeating a sitting Congress MLC.
The MLC elections are relatively small polls, involving registered graduates and teachers rather than the general electorate. These results cannot be directly compared with Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, but what matters here is not just who won, but also how the votes were cast.What creates a problem for the party is that such electoral results make it difficult for its claims to stick to the wall.The Congress has long questioned EVMs, but the MLC poll results show that its difficulties extend to contests conducted using ballot papers.The Congress's position on EVMs has also changed over the years.
Its position has shifted from demanding the complete removal of EVMs to seeking greater verification of electronic votes, even as it has raised broader concerns about the electoral process through its "vote-chori" campaign.HOW CONGRESS FARED IN THE BALLOT-PAPER MLC POLLSThe biggest setback for the Congress came in Karnataka. The BJP-JD(S) alliance won all four Legislative Council seats in the Congress-ruled state.The BJP retained three seats, while the JD(S) wrested the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency from the Congress.
JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna's 9,902.
The defeat is particularly significant because Congress had deployed senior leaders, including Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other ministers, to campaign in these constituencies.In Bihar, the Congress suffered another setback when Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party defeated former state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha in the Darbhanga Teachers' constituency. The victory also marked Jan Suraaj's entry into the Bihar Legislative Council, months after its founder Prashant Kishor's triumph in the high-voltage Bankipur Assembly bypolls.In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and Samajwadi Party registered victories, while the Congress failed to make a breakthrough.
Maharashtra also contributed to the party's poor showing in the results and trends available on Tuesday evening.The results point to problems beyond the technology used in voting. The Congress's electoral struggles could also stem from candidate selection, organisational weaknesses and its inability to mobilise voters.
However, the party has repeatedly made the demand to scrap EVMs a major political issue.BJP TURNS BALLOT-PAPER VERDICT INTO WEAPON AGAINST CONGRESSThe BJP was quick to heckle the Congress over its dismal performance in the MLC polls. It used the ballot-paper results of the MLC polls to counter the Congress's allegations of "vote theft" through alleged EVM manipulation.The BJP on X celebrated the NDA's sweep, saying, "Ballot paper or EVM, the people's choice remains clear!"The Karnataka BJP mocked the state's ruling party on X, posting, "Congress, after losing 4/4 MLC seats on BALLOT PAPER, in its RULING State: EVM?
No... ECI?
No... SIR?
No... wait, just give us a sec..."Union Minister Pralhad Joshi wrote on X, "Button or Ballot: Result is the same."He accused the Congress of repeatedly questioning democratic institutions and blaming the electoral system when results went against it. "CONgress expresses its concerns over EVM very often, but even on ballot paper the result is the same," he wrote on X.Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also targeted the Congress. He said that despite its allegations about the electoral process, "democracy has firmly stood up and shown a mirror to the party".
Pointing to the ballot-paper MLC polls, he said, "But Congress drew a blank in the results!" and accused the party of blaming its defeats on everything except its own politics.BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi took the criticism further, saying, "The problem is not in the EVM machines, nor in the voter lists, nor in the ballots; the problem is in the delusion in their minds and in the habit of not working."He argued that the Congress needed to concentrate on winning voters' support rather than blaming voting methods for its defeats.Assam BJP chief Dilip Saikia, said, "ZERO!! MLC polls were 100% on the ballot paper, where only graduates & teachers vote.
The most educated class rejected Congress & forfeited their deposit. No EVM, still '0'.
The issue is not the machine, it's your credibility!"WHAT HAS BEEN CONGRESS'S STAND ON EVMSThe Congress's demand for junking the EVMs and bringing back the ballot papers is not new. In March 2018, at its plenary session in Delhi, the party formally adopted a resolution seeking a return to paper ballots."To ensure the credibility of the electoral process, the Election Commission should revert to the old practice of using ballot papers as most major democracies have done," the resolution stated.The demand came amid opposition allegations that EVMs could be manipulated.
The Election Commission rejected those concerns and defended the reliability of the machines.By the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, Congress had adopted a more nuanced position. Its manifesto proposed retaining EVMs while allowing voters to handle VVPAT slips and deposit them in ballot boxes, followed by verification of electronic tallies against paper records.In April 2024, the Supreme Court rejected petitions seeking a return to ballot papers and mandatory 100% EVM-VVPAT verification.Following the Congress's defeat in the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, party president Mallikarjun Kharge again demanded a return to ballot papers.However, at its November 2024 meeting, the Congress Working Committee avoided explicitly demanding the removal of EVMs.
Instead, it called for a movement against alleged irregularities in the entire electoral process, including voter-list discrepancies.Congress leader Pawan Khera explained the distinction. "The issue is not just about EVMs. It is about the entire electoral process," he said.While the MLC poll results do not settle the debate over EVMs, they raise questions about the Congress's electoral struggles.
The party has repeatedly questioned voting machines, but its defeats in ballot-paper elections suggest that its problems might run deeper. This does not mean concerns about the electoral process should be summarily dismissed.
However, changing the way votes are cast might not be enough to change the Congress's electoral fortunes.- Ends(Written by Sushim Mukul)