Congress counters Modi’s MLC poll taunt, points to BJP losses in Varanasi

• Congress counters Modi’s remarks on its MLC election performance, pointing to BJP defeats in Varanasi and Nagpur

• Jairam Ramesh urges the prime minister to focus on inflation, unemployment and private investment

• The BJP and its NDA allies won 16 of 28 seats across four states, while Congress secured one

The Congress on Thursday countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of its performance in legislative council elections, asking him to explain the BJP’s defeat in both seats in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of lecturing the opposition while overlooking electoral setbacks for his own party. In a Hindi post on X, he also cited the Congress victory over the BJP in Nagpur, where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has its headquarters.

Ramesh said the prime minister should examine the reasons behind these results before questioning the Congress’s seat tally. He described the outcomes in Varanasi, Nagpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj and Patna as a public rejection of the government’s policies.

The Congress leader also accused Modi of ignoring economic pressures on households. He urged the prime minister to address inflation, unemployment and what he described as stalled private investment.

“Mr Modi, stop the trolling,” Ramesh said, calling on him to shed his arrogance and reflect on these concerns.

The exchange followed Modi’s remarks about the Congress’s poor showing in the MLC elections despite voting being conducted through paper ballots. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded a return to ballot papers while raising concerns about electronic voting machines.

Responding on Wednesday, the Congress had challenged Modi to demonstrate his confidence in the BJP’s electoral strength by committing to paper ballots for future Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

The party argued that if the prime minister believed EVMs had no bearing on electoral outcomes, he should accept its demand through action rather than public statements.

The BJP and its National Democratic Alliance partners secured 16 of the 28 seats contested in legislative council elections across four states. The Congress won one seat, while the Samajwadi Party secured five in Uttar Pradesh, including both seats in Varanasi.

With PTI inputs