New Delhi. The results of the Legislative Council elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have raised questions about the Congress's electoral strategy. The party failed to achieve the expected success in all four states, failing to win even 28 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP maintained its strong position in several seats, while the Samajwadi Party performed better in Uttar Pradesh than last time. Prashant Kishor's Jansuraj Party also made its presence felt in Bihar by snatching one seat from the Congress. Following these results, several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targeted the Congress. Citing the ballot paper elections, they questioned the Congress's electoral allegations.

PM Modi targeted Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to the Legislative Council elections in four states, took a dig at the Congress party. He said that the Congress party's performance should be assessed when voting in these states was conducted using ballot papers. The BJP questioned the Congress party's continued demand for ballot papers despite Congress leaders' calls for a review after the election defeat. BJP leaders argued that if EVMs are to blame for the electoral defeat, then the results of ballot papers elections must also be explained. The BJP is presenting these results as a response to Congress's allegations.

BJP got six seats, SP got five seats in Uttar Pradesh

In the elections for the 11 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was projected to win six seats and the Samajwadi Party five. In the 2020 elections, the BJP had also won six seats, while the SP's tally increased from three to five. Thus, the BJP maintained its previous performance, while the SP gained two seats. The SP won the Varanasi Teachers, Agra Teachers, and Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates seats. Party President Akhilesh Yadav appeared elated by these results. However, he appealed to party workers to maintain restraint and celebrate the victory peacefully. He warned that any disturbance could give the BJP an opportunity to level accusations against the SP.

Akhilesh alleges irregularities in vote counting

Akhilesh Yadav alleged that if there had been no irregularities in the vote count, the Samajwadi Party could have won all the seats. He also shared several videos on social media related to the controversies that occurred during the vote count. In Agra, SP candidate Akash Agarwal was attacked and allegations of irregularities in the election process were made. Akash Agarwal even staged a sit-in protest during the vote count, but ultimately won. After his victory, he stated that his success was due to widespread public support. He also accused the BJP of trying to influence the electoral process. Akash Agarwal expressed concern that if such controversies continue in elections, it may become difficult for opposition parties to field candidates in the future.

SP wins both seats in Varanasi

The Samajwadi Party retained its hold on the Graduate and Teacher Legislative Council seats in Varanasi. The SP previously held both seats, and this time too, the party's victory was declared certain. During the vote count, an altercation broke out between BJP and SP agents, leading to a flurry of political accusations. Akhilesh Yadav described the Varanasi results as a political failure of the BJP, accusing them of trying to influence the vote count. SP leader Udayveer Singh also targeted the BJP, saying that BJP leaders should explain why the party lost in Varanasi. He also described these results as important for the upcoming assembly elections.

Close contest in Gorakhpur, BJP's Dhruv Tripathi emerges victorious

BJP's Dhruv Tripathi won the Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers' seat in a closely contested election, while independent candidate Rajiv Yadav finished second. The BJP candidate was ahead in the first-preference vote count, but a dispute arose when second-preference votes began. Rajiv Yadav walked out of the counting. Akhilesh Yadav questioned this development, claiming that if the alleged vote-counting irregularities had not occurred, the result here could have been similar to Varanasi. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya described the Samajwadi Party's victory as limited, saying the party should not be overly excited after winning five seats. He claimed that the Samajwadi Party will be disappointed in the 2027 assembly elections.

Jansuraj's victory in Bihar gives Congress a jolt

Congress suffered significant losses in the elections for eight Legislative Council seats in Bihar. According to available information, results for six seats have been declared. The BJP won the Kosi Graduate and Tirhut Teacher seats. The Patna Teacher seat went to the RJD, while independent candidate Rahul Raj won the Saran Teacher seat. Independent candidate Vanshidhar Brajwasi won the Tirhut Graduate seat. The BJP was leading in the Darbhanga Graduate seat. The biggest setback for Congress came in the Darbhanga Teacher seat, which it previously held. This time, a candidate from Prashant Kishore's Jansuraj Party won there. Congress failed to win a single seat in Bihar, raising questions about the party's candidate selection and election preparations.

JDU's Neeraj Kumar wins Patna Graduate seat

Neeraj Kumar of the Janata Dal United won the Patna Graduate seat. In this election, strongman leader Anant Singh had pushed hard for Jansuraj Party candidate Anuj Singh to win. According to media reports, even rasgullas were prepared at his place before the vote count in anticipation of victory. However, after the results came in Neeraj Kumar's favor, celebrations were replaced by disappointment. Neeraj Kumar sarcastically criticized Anant Singh, saying that the era of displaying muscle power was over. During the election campaign, Anant Singh had also made sharp comments about Neeraj Kumar.

Following Neeraj Kumar's victory, his supporters took a dig at Anant Singh by dancing with mints. The supporters jokingly said that if Anant Singh or his supporters had gas or indigestion, they could get mints from Neeraj Kumar's house. Accepting defeat, Anant Singh said that the public had given its verdict, and he respected it. He denied any displeasure with his party, but vowed to continue his opposition to Neeraj Kumar. He then went inside his house and refused to talk.

RJD wins Patna teacher seat, Tejashwi raises questions

Tejashwi Yadav expressed happiness over the Rashtriya Janata Dal's victory in the Patna Teachers' Legislative Council seat. The BJP had won this seat in 2020, but this time the RJD captured it. Tejashwi said his party had succeeded in a seat with educated voters. He claimed that if the elections had been conducted freely and fairly, the RJD could have performed better. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha countered this statement, saying that excuses are made when faced with failure. He said that instead of making accusations after an election defeat, one should accept the results.

Questions were raised within the party on the defeat of Congress.

Former Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh expressed concern over the election results. He said that if candidates had been selected better, the party would not have faced such a situation. Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, targeting Rahul Gandhi, questioned who Congress would blame for its defeat after voting was conducted using ballot papers. He claimed that whether the elections were conducted using EVMs or ballot papers, Congress was not receiving public support. Amid these statements, it has become crucial for Congress to review its organizational weaknesses and electoral strategy in Bihar.

Congress lost two seats in Maharashtra.

In Maharashtra, the Mahayuti (grand alliance) took the lead in the five Legislative Council elections, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) secured one seat. According to available results, the BJP won the Pune Teachers' seat, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won the Amravati Teachers' seat. The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party candidate won the Pune Graduates' seat. The same faction's candidate was also considered a near-certain winner in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' seat, while the BJP's Sudhakar Kohle was leading in Nagpur. Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari trailed. Worryingly for the party, two of the five seats were previously held by the Congress, but this time it lost both seats.

Sharad Pawar faction raises questions on Congress strategy

Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule targeted Rahul Gandhi over the Congress's performance, saying the party would have to find new excuses for its defeat. Meanwhile, Congress leaders accused the BJP of using government machinery and money power. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil claimed that if the elections had been conducted fairly, the results could have been different. However, Sharad Pawar faction leader Shashikant Shinde questioned the Congress's strategy. He said that if the Congress had strategized with its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies instead of adopting an adamant stance, it could have posed a more effective challenge to the Mahayuti. His statement renewed the discussion on the need for better coordination within the opposition alliance.

Ruling Congress loses all four seats in Karnataka

The results of the Legislative Council elections in Karnataka were particularly disappointing for the Congress. Despite a Congress government in the state, the party failed to win any of the four seats. The BJP secured three seats, while the Janata Dal Secular won the one Congress-held seat. In the Bengaluru teachers' seat, JDS candidate AP Ranganath defeated the Congress candidate. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, reacting to the results, said that it is not difficult to understand the political signals from these elections. He took a dig at Rahul Gandhi, saying that it remains to be seen what conclusions he draws from these results.

Congress to review defeat, insists on ballot paper demand

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar admitted that Congress had hoped to win at least two seats, but the results did not meet the party's expectations. He said that Congress would analyze the reasons for the defeat and try to address the shortcomings revealed during the election. When asked why Rahul Gandhi demands ballot elections, even though Congress lost in these elections, Shivakumar said that there are both victories and defeats in politics.

He clarified that Congress will continue to demand paper ballot voting. According to Shivakumar, party leaders will meet together to discuss the election results and the public's message. He also advised the BJP and JDS not to get overly excited about the results, reminding them that Congress has previously won by-elections. He said the party will formulate its future strategy after November 1st.

"Whether you press the button or vote with the ballot, the result will be Congress's defeat."

Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, criticizing the Congress party's electoral performance, said that whether voting is done using EVM buttons or ballot papers, the results are leading to a defeat for the Congress party. He said that the Congress party has been constantly alleging vote theft, yet despite having a government in Karnataka, it failed to win a single seat in the Legislative Council elections. According to him, instead of questioning EVMs, the Congress party should consider its political strategy. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also targeted Rahul Gandhi, saying that defeats are becoming a regular occurrence for the Congress party. BJP leaders used these results as a political argument against the Congress's electoral allegations.

What political message will emerge from the results of four states?

In the Legislative Council elections in four states, the BJP retained its seats in Uttar Pradesh and also gained in Karnataka. The Samajwadi Party gained two additional seats in Uttar Pradesh, while in Bihar, the Jansuraj Party snatched a seat from the Congress, and the RJD won the Patna Teachers' seat. In Maharashtra, the Mahayuti gained, and the Congress lost its former seats. These results pose challenges for the Congress in candidate selection, organizational strength, and improving coordination with allies. The BJP is calling these results a response to Rahul Gandhi's electoral allegations. It will now be important to see what lessons political parties learn from these results and how they impact the upcoming assembly elections.