New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): After the BJP won big in the recent MLC elections, BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday claimed that Congress faces electoral defeats regardless of votes cast by EVMs or ballot papers.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Thakur said that after every electoral defeat, Congress finds either the EVMs or the Election Commission to blame.
The BJP leader said, "The Congress faced a crushing defeat in the MLC elections. Through the use of ballot papers, the people of the country have clearly demonstrated that they have rejected the Congress and the opposition. Even in our home state of Himachal Pradesh, the Congress suffered a massive defeat in the local body and Panchayati Raj elections.”
“Whether the voting was conducted via EVMs or ballot papers—the opposition has faced defeat everywhere. Yet, every single time, they manage to find someone to blame: sometimes it’s the EVMs, at other times it’s the ECI or the Chief Election Commissioner. In the end, they want a regime change, anarchy and violence. The public has elected the government; you will not be able to uproot it easily,” he added.
Thakur’s remark echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe at the Congress, following the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) clean sweep in Karnataka Legislative Council elections, winning all four seats.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, "MLC elections in 28 seats across 4 big states – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. Elections were held using ballot papers. Guess how many seats Congress won?"
However, hitting back, Congress MP Pawan Khera cited the Congress’ victory in the BJP fortress Nagpur Graduates constituency and Samajwadi Party’s win in the Varanasi Teachers' constituency. He suggested PM Modi should have waited for results in other constituencies before posting on social media.
Taking a swipe, the Congress leader said, "Narendra Modi ji made a self-goal. He should have waited an hour. What was the haste? Had he waited, he would have seen the results in Nagpur and in his own Constituency. Had he tweeted after that, it would have been better. Now, the entire country is laughing at him. We don't celebrate. We will celebrate on the day we would be able to save democracy of this country. Right now, it is under threat."
Ahead of INDIA bloc’s “impeachment” programme against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at a mock Parliament, Khera said, "It is very clear that the country has made up its mind that Gyanesh will have to go. The opposition of the country is making the voice of the country reach this Government through the public impeachment program."
The INDIA bloc, led by Congress, is set to hold an “impeachment” event against the CEC on October 30 ahead of the November 1 mega anti-SIR rally in Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
Meanwhile, in the MLC elections, the BJP-JD(S) alliance swept all four seats in Karnataka.
The elections for 11 seats (five Graduates' and six Teachers' constituencies) in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, widely viewed as a political "semi-final" ahead of the State Assembly elections in 2027, saw a competitive split between the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party.
The BJP won six seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured five seats.
In Maharashtra, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi won three of the five Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured the remaining two seats. NCP(SCP) won the Pune Graduates' seat and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituency, while Congress secured Nagpur. The BJP and Shiv Sena won the teachers’ seats in Pune and Amravati respectively.
In Bihar, the BJP and RJD won two seats each, while JD(U) and debutant Jan Suraaj won one each. Two independent candidates secured the two remaining seats. (ANI)
"Opposition loses whether EVMs or ballot papers": Anurag Thakur as BJP wins big in MLC polls; Pawan Khera cites Congress' Nagpur win
