New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress after the party failed to win any of the 28 Legislative Council seats that went to polls across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. The BJP used the results to question the Congress’s electoral performance amid the Opposition party’s repeated criticism of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and its demand for greater electoral transparency.
‘Ballot Box, resign’: Shah’s jibe
In a post on X, Shah asked how many of the 28 seats the Congress had won and answered the question with “0”. He followed it with the sarcastic remark, “Ballot Box, resign.”
The post included a graphic depicting a man resembling Rahul Gandhi holding a placard with the message. The BJP’s taunt referred to the use of paper ballots in the Legislative Council elections, which the party cited while challenging the Congress’s criticism of EVMs.
Polls held across four states
Polling for the 28 seats took place on October 23, with results declared on October 28. The contests covered teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies, whose electorates differ from those in general Assembly elections.
The results included a setback for the Congress in Karnataka, where the ruling party lost all four seats contested in the state. The BJP and its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), secured the four seats, according to reports. The Congress also failed to win any of the seats covered by the four-state tally.
Modi also targets Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier questioned the Congress’s performance in the same elections, pointing out that voting had taken place using ballot papers and asking how many seats the party had won.
The BJP’s remarks have intensified the political exchange between the two parties over voting methods and electoral transparency. While the results have become a talking point for the BJP, the Legislative Council contests involved specific graduate and teacher electorates and should not be treated as a direct measure of voter preferences across the four states as a whole.
The Congress’s zero-seat tally has given the BJP fresh ammunition in its criticism of the Opposition party’s electoral arguments, while the broader debate over election procedures continues.
