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Congress securing just one seat out of 28 in the Legislative Council elections across four states has triggered fresh jibes from BJP spokesperson Pradeep
Bhandari and former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who questioned the party's decision to celebrate its victory in Nagpur. “Lol imagine the state of Congress, they are celebrating 1 seat!” Bhandari wrote on X, taking a swipe at the opposition party after the results were declared on Thursday.
Nirupam also questioned the Congress's response to the outcome, arguing that its victory in one constituency did little to offset its poor overall performance across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka.
In a post on X in Hindi, Nirupam said, “Congress is celebrating the fact that it has not been completely wiped out. It has won one seat. Congratulations! But one seat out of 28, that too across four states in the entire country. Is this an achievement?”
He further questioned whether the result could be considered an achievement for a party that claims to be a national political force.
'Symbolism' Over Nagpur Victory?
Nirupam also took aim at the Congress's attempt to highlight its victory in Nagpur while pointing to the BJP's defeat in Varanasi.
“They are making a noise about winning Nagpur and the BJP losing Varanasi. This is what is called the narrative of symbolism. It is short-lived,” he said.
He added that the Congress's victory in Nagpur had failed to produce a similar impact in neighbouring Amravati, arguing that the result was too limited to have a wider political effect.
The Congress retained the Nagpur Division Graduates' constituency through sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjari, who defeated BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. Wanjari secured 67,231 votes against Kohale's 63,960.
The result was a setback for the BJP in Nagpur, the home turf of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Both leaders had campaigned extensively for Kohale.
Congress Faces Setback Across Four States
The Legislative Council elections were held on October 23 across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka, with 28 seats up for grabs. The Congress contested 12 seats but managed to win only Nagpur, while the BJP and its allies secured 16 seats.
The Congress faced its biggest setback in Karnataka, where it is in power. The BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance swept all four seats, with the JD(S) wresting the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency from the Congress.
In Bihar, Jan Suraaj, led by Prashant Kishor, secured its first Legislative Council seat, while the BJP and its allies also registered gains. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won six seats while the Samajwadi Party secured five, strengthening its position ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The results also became part of the political debate over electronic voting machines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a swipe at the Congress on Wednesday, pointing out that the MLC elections were conducted using ballot papers and asking how many seats the party had won.
BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi also accused Rahul Gandhi of promoting "anarchy", questioning his criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). “Whether it’s paper ballot or EVM machines, they will lose. Rahul Gandhi is a big-time loser," he said.
The Congress has repeatedly questioned the use of EVMs and demanded a return to ballot papers for elections.
