Congress tells PM Modi to reflect on Varanasi losses in MLC polls

Electoral Clash

The Congress party told Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop giving advice to others and look at why the BJP lost both seats in his own parliamentary constituency of Varanasi during the recent MLC elections. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh made these remarks on Thursday, October 29, 2026. He said that voters in cities like Varanasi, Nagpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Patna have shown a lack of trust in the government's policies.

Election Results

During the Legislative Council elections across four States, the BJP and its NDA allies won 16 out of the 28 seats. The Congress managed to win one seat, while the Samajwadi Party secured five seats in Uttar Pradesh, which included two seats in Varanasi. The MLC polls used paper ballots. This format led the Prime Minister to taunt the opposition over their poor showing despite using paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines.

Party Claims

In response to the Prime Minister's taunt, the Congress stated that if he truly believes voting machines do not affect results, he should hold all future national and assembly elections using ballot papers. Mr. Ramesh also accused the government of ignoring public hardships, stating that many families are struggling with high inflation, young people cannot find jobs, and private investments have stopped growing.

Context

Legislative Council elections are upper house polls in select Indian states where voters often include teachers, graduates, and local body members. Heated exchanges between political parties over election methods and poll results are a regular feature of Indian politics.