Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday targeted the Congress after the party failed to win any seats in the latest Legislative Council elections across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka, reigniting the political debate over electronic voting machines (EVMs) and paper ballots.

In a post on X, Modi highlighted that all 28 seats were contested through ballot-paper voting and challenged users to guess the Congress's tally. His post ended with a face-with-monocle emoji, adding a note of scepticism to the question.

“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 Prime Minister wrote.

The remark was aimed at the Congress and other Opposition parties that have repeatedly questioned the use of EVMs and demanded that elections return to paper ballots, alleging that electronic voting systems favour the BJP.

The Congress contested 12 of the 28 seats across the four states but failed to secure a single victory. The result was particularly significant in Karnataka, where the Congress is in power but lost all four seats it had previously held.

Congress setback in Karnataka

The results dealt a blow to the Congress in one of the few states where it governs. The Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), wrested one seat from the Congress, while its ally, the BJP, retained three seats.

The outcome gave the BJP and its allies fresh ammunition to counter the Congress's allegations of electoral manipulation. Leaders from the ruling alliance have argued that the opposition's claims of “vote chori” (vote theft) have been undermined by the results of elections conducted using ballot papers.

The Congress and several other Opposition parties, however, have continued to call for paper ballots in future elections and have alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

How the MLC elections unfolded

Polling for the 28 seats across the four states took place on October 23, with counting beginning on Tuesday. The contests covered teachers' and graduates' constituencies in the respective states, and counting was still underway in some seats when the results were reported.

In Uttar Pradesh, the elections covered six teachers' and five graduates' constituencies. Bihar and Karnataka each had four seats at stake, while Maharashtra went to the polls for three graduates' and two teachers' constituencies.

In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was leading in three seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) was ahead in two, according to the reported trends.

Bihar saw the Jan Suraaj Party win its first seat. The BJP, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and an Independent candidate also secured one seat each.

The Congress's failure to win any of the seats it contested across the four states became the central political talking point after Modi's post.

Ballot-paper debate continues

The Opposition has repeatedly alleged that EVMs are vulnerable to manipulation and has demanded a return to paper ballots. The Congress and its allies have also staged protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

The BJP has rejected the Opposition's accusations and accused the Congress of questioning electoral processes when results go against it.

Modi's latest remarks bring the ballot-paper debate back into focus, with the MLC results providing the ruling party an opportunity to challenge the Congress's argument that a return to paper ballots would address its concerns about election fairness.