EVMs Aren’t The Only Problem? Congress’s Ballot-Paper Losses Hand BJP A Fresh Attack Line

Last Updated:October 29, 2026, 1:13 PM IST

The results give BJP fresh ammo and force the Congress to answer an uncomfortable question: even if the voting system changes, what will the party do differently to win?

Congress also needs to demonstrate that it can convert its political arguments into electoral gains. (PTI)

For months, the Congress has argued that India’s electoral process is under a cloud, accusing the Election Commission of failing to address alleged ‘vote chori’ and demanding a return to ballot-paper voting. But the results of the recent Legislative Council elections have handed the BJP a question that will be uncomfortable for the Opposition: if ballot papers are the answer, why is the Congress still struggling to win?

The Congress has made the alleged manipulation of elections, the credibility of the Election Commission and its demand for a return to ballot-paper voting central to its political battle against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the elections, held on October 23 and covering 28 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar and Maharashtra, were conducted using ballot papers. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 16 seats, while the Congress suffered a major setback, failing to win any of the four seats contested in Karnataka, a state where it is in power. The Congress eventually retained the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency in Maharashtra, with sitting MLC Abhijeet Wanjari defeating the BJP’s Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes after more than 40 hours of counting.

The Nagpur result complicated the BJP’s early attempt to portray the Congress as having drawn a complete blank. But it did little to blunt the political attack triggered by the party’s poor overall performance, particularly its defeat in Karnataka.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress over its performance in elections conducted using ballot papers, while other BJP leaders questioned the party’s demand to move away from EVMs. The argument was straightforward: if the Congress believes that ballot-paper voting is the answer to its concerns about electoral integrity, why has the change in voting method not translated into more victories?

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The question gives the BJP a political talking point. But does it undermine the Congress’s broader ‘vote chori’ campaign? The answer is more complicated than the electoral arithmetic suggests.

Ballot-Paper Result Gives BJP Ammunition

The Congress has been demanding a return to ballot papers as part of a broader set of electoral reforms. On October 5, party president Mallikarjun Kharge listed three “non-negotiable demands”: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the annulment of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and elections being conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs.

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The MLC results have allowed the BJP to challenge the political messaging behind these demands. Its argument is that electoral outcomes cannot be explained simply by the voting technology used. Parties must also win the confidence of voters, build effective local organisations and select candidates who can mobilise support.

That argument is not without political value. For the BJP, the results offer an opportunity to shift the conversation away from allegations of electoral manipulation and towards the Congress’s electoral performance. The party can now ask whether the Opposition is placing too much emphasis on the voting mechanism while neglecting the work required to win elections.

Karnataka: The Bigger Problem For Congress

The more immediate concern for the Congress is Karnataka, where it lost all four Legislative Council seats contested in the elections. The BJP won three, while its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), secured the fourth. Among the significant defeats was the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency, which the Congress lost to the JD(S).

The outcome is politically awkward for a party that has been questioning the electoral process nationally. Karnataka is governed by the Congress, and the defeat raises questions about its organisation and ability to mobilise support even where it holds power.

The results also point to the importance of local electoral dynamics. The BJP and JD(S) were able to coordinate their efforts across the four constituencies, while the Congress failed to retain its existing position.

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar acknowledged the setback, saying the party had expected to win two seats and would take corrective measures.

For the Congress, this is a more immediate organisational challenge than the political embarrassment caused by the BJP’s taunts. The party must examine its candidate selection, local networks, coordination and campaign strategy if it hopes to prevent similar setbacks in future contests.

At the same time, the MLC elections involve a limited electorate of registered graduates and teachers, rather than the general electorate that votes in assembly or Lok Sabha elections. Their results cannot automatically be read as a verdict on the Congress government in Karnataka or its wider political standing.

Nevertheless, losing all four seats, including one previously held by the party, is an outcome that requires an explanation beyond the debate over EVMs.

Nagpur Complicates BJP’s Argument

The Congress’s victory in Nagpur also underlines why the results cannot be reduced to a simple BJP-versus-Congress narrative.

Wanjari retained the Nagpur Graduates’ seat, defeating the BJP’s Kohale by 3,271 votes. The contest was closely watched because Nagpur is the home turf of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, both of whom had campaigned for the BJP candidate.

The result gave the Congress an opportunity to turn the BJP’s taunts back on its leaders. Fadnavis deleted a social media post mocking the Congress for failing to win a seat after Wanjari’s victory was declared.

The Nagpur outcome is a reminder that local factors, candidate credibility and constituency-level organisation can override broader political narratives. It also weakens any attempt to portray the results as a uniform rejection of the Congress. But one victory does not erase the party’s wider difficulties in the MLC elections, just as its defeats do not establish that its allegations about electoral irregularities are unfounded.

Is ‘Vote Chori’ Overshadowing Congress’s Organisational Challenges?

The larger question for the Congress is whether its campaign against alleged electoral manipulation is helping it build a broader political movement or increasingly exposing the gap between its national messaging and its performance on the ground.

The ‘vote chori’ campaign has allowed the party to question the Election Commission, demand institutional accountability and argue that electoral fairness is central to democracy. Those concerns cannot be dismissed merely because the party has lost elections. The credibility of its allegations depends on the evidence it presents and the responses of the institutions concerned.

However, the Congress also needs to demonstrate that it can convert its political arguments into electoral gains. A campaign centred on the fairness of the process cannot, by itself, resolve problems of organisation, candidate selection, alliances or voter mobilisation.

The MLC results bring that tension into focus. The Congress lost all four seats in Karnataka, suffered a poor overall showing across the four states and managed to retain Nagpur only after a prolonged count. The BJP, meanwhile, has found an opportunity to question whether the Congress’s demand for ballot-paper voting is being used to explain electoral defeats rather than address the reasons behind them.

The Congress now faces two distinct challenges: sustaining its argument for electoral transparency with evidence, and confronting the organisational weaknesses exposed by the results. Treating one as a substitute for the other could leave the party vulnerable to further political attacks.

Ultimately, the MLC elections do not resolve the EVM debate. What they do is give the BJP a fresh line of attack and force the Congress to answer an uncomfortable question: even if the voting system changes, what will the party do differently to win?

About the Author

When he beat Misra

Apoorva Misra is an Associate Editor at News18.com with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. She loves uncovering fresh angles and telling stories through long-form features and explainers…Read More

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