New Delhi, Oct 2026 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday criticised the Congress after the party failed to win a single seat in the biennial Legislative Council (MLC) elections held across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka.
Taking to social media platform X, Shah questioned the Congress’ performance in the 28-seat contests. In a Hindi post, he wrote, “How many out of 28 did the Congress win? ‘Zero’,” adding the remark “Resign, Ballot Box” in an apparent reference to the party’s repeated allegations of irregularities involving electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The BJP leader’s post appeared to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, with an accompanying illustration showing a figure resembling the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha looking at the election results.
The political exchange comes amid the Congress’ continuing demand for greater scrutiny of EVMs and its calls for restoring ballot-paper voting. The BJP has cited the MLC election results to challenge the Congress’ allegations, pointing out that these elections were conducted using ballot papers.
However, the MLC results need to be viewed in their electoral context. The contests involved restricted electorates, including graduates and teachers, rather than the general electorate. While the outcome reflects political influence among these specific voter groups, it does not directly determine the results of future Lok Sabha or state Assembly elections.
In Karnataka, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the Janata Dal (Secular), secured a 4-0 sweep in the four seats, dealing a setback to the ruling Congress in the state.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed a contest primarily between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP won several constituencies, while the SP retained its presence by securing key teachers’ seats and continuing as the principal Opposition force in the state’s Legislative Council contests.
In Bihar, the results reflected a diverse political landscape. The BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) won several seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also registered a victory. Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) opened its account, and independent candidates won seats as well.
Maharashtra also witnessed a mixed outcome, with the Congress failing to secure a seat in the contests, despite the party registering a victory in the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency being absent from its tally as per the reported results.
The results have triggered fresh political sparring between the BJP and Congress, with both sides continuing to contest each other’s claims on electoral processes and political credibility.
For the Congress, the outcome comes as it seeks to strengthen Rahul Gandhi’s leadership role and present him as the face of a united Opposition. The BJP, meanwhile, has used the results to question the Congress’ electoral arguments and highlight its performance in ballot-paper elections.
