MLC polls 2026: Pralhad Joshi mocks Congress 'zero show' across 4 states
Synopsis
Pralhad Joshi's EVM jibe at Congress lands harder than usual — because this time, the elections were held via ballot papers too, and Congress still blanked. Losing all four Karnataka seats while in government there turns a political taunt into a structural question the party cannot easily deflect.
Key Takeaways
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi mocked Congress on 28 October 2026 over its failure to win any of the 28 MLC seats contested.
Results were declared for seats in Bihar , Uttar Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra — Congress drew a blank in three states outright.
In Karnataka , which Congress governs, the party lost all 4 constituencies , with even incumbent council members failing to retain seats.
In Maharashtra , counting was reportedly still underway for 5 seats , with Congress's prospects uncertain within the MVA alliance.
Joshi argued the results undermine Congress's narrative that electoral losses are caused by EVM manipulation.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday, 28 October 2026 delivered a sharp rebuke to the Indian National Congress, mocking the party's failure to win a single seat in the recently concluded Legislative Council (MLC) elections held across four states. The results, covering 28 seats in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, handed Congress a near-total shutout.
Joshi's Jab at Congress
'Whether it is ballot paper or the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the outcome for the Congress party remains the same,' Joshi said, taking direct aim at the grand old party's long-running narrative around electoral integrity. He argued that Congress consistently raises questions about EVMs and alleges irregularities — yet when elections were held through ballot boxes, the party still failed to secure a win.
The minister said the MLC results have effectively cast doubt on the validity of Congress's allegations against democratic institutions and the electoral process.
The Seat-by-Seat Breakdown
The 28 MLC seats contested were spread across graduates' and teachers' constituencies in four states. Uttar Pradesh saw polling in 11 seats — comprising 5 graduates' and 6 teachers' constituencies. Bihar had 8 seats — 4 graduates' and 4 teachers' constituencies. Maharashtra had 5 seats covering 3 graduates' and 2 teachers' constituencies, with counting reportedly still underway. Karnataka had 4 constituencies, all of which Congress lost.
According to reports, Congress drew a blank in three states outright, while in Maharashtra — where it is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition bloc — the party found itself on uncertain ground even as counting continued.
Karnataka Defeat Stings the Most
The Karnataka result was particularly pointed, as the state is governed by Congress. Joshi specifically highlighted that even incumbent Legislative Council members of the party failed to retain their seats — a result that critics argue signals deeper organisational weakness within a government the party controls.
This comes amid an already fraught political climate for Congress in Karnataka, where factional tensions and governance challenges have dogged the party's tenure.
What the Results Signal
MLC elections for graduates' and teachers' constituencies are largely seen as a test of party organisation among educated, urban-leaning electorates. A shutout in these polls — including in a state Congress governs — points to gaps in ground-level mobilisation rather than anti-incumbency alone. Notably, this is not the first time Congress has underperformed in upper-house council polls, but the scale of Wednesday's result gives the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fresh ammunition ahead of upcoming state electoral cycles.
The forward-looking question now is whether Congress's central leadership will treat this as a structural wake-up call or continue to attribute losses to systemic factors beyond its control.
Point of View
The deeper question is structural, not procedural.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the MLC elections 2026 results for Congress?
Congress failed to win a single seat out of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra in the MLC elections announced on 28 October 2026. The party drew a blank in three states and remained uncertain in Maharashtra, where counting was reportedly still underway.
What did Pralhad Joshi say about Congress and EVMs?
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said, 'Whether it is ballot paper or the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the outcome for the Congress party remains the same,' arguing that Congress's zero tally in the MLC polls — including in contests held via ballot boxes — undermines the party's long-standing claims of EVM tampering.
Why is the Karnataka MLC result significant for Congress?
Karnataka is governed by Congress, making the loss of all four MLC constituencies there particularly damaging. According to reports, even incumbent Legislative Council members of the party failed to retain their seats, pointing to organisational weakness within a state the party controls.
Which states held MLC elections and how many seats were contested?
A total of 28 Legislative Council seats were contested across four states: 11 in Uttar Pradesh, 8 in Bihar, 5 in Maharashtra, and 4 in Karnataka. The seats covered graduates' and teachers' constituencies.
What is the Maha Vikas Aghadi and what is Congress's position in Maharashtra?
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is the opposition alliance in Maharashtra, of which Congress is a constituent party. Even within the MVA alliance's contest against the ruling Mahayuti, Congress's prospects in the five Maharashtra MLC seats were reportedly uncertain as of the 28 October count.
