BJP chief Nitin Nabin: Congress scores zero in MLC polls across 4 states
Synopsis
BJP national president Nitin Nabin used the Congress's zero-seat tally in MLC elections across four states — all conducted via ballot paper, not EVMs — to directly dismantle the opposition's sustained EVM-tampering narrative. The move signals the BJP will keep wielding recent electoral scorecards as confidence votes in Prime Minister Modi ahead of upcoming assembly contests.
Key Takeaways
BJP national president Nitin Nabin claimed on 28 October 2026 that the Congress won zero seats in MLC elections across Karnataka , Maharashtra , Bihar , and Uttar Pradesh .
Nabin made the claim in a post on X , targeting the Congress's “anarchistic politics” and its ongoing campaign against EVMs .
The BJP argues that the Congress's failure even in ballot-paper elections undermines opposition allegations of EVM manipulation.
Party leaders called the results a clear endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's governance and a reflection of Congress's growing disconnect with voters.
Both parties are expected to intensify campaigns on electoral integrity and governance ahead of upcoming assembly elections .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, claimed that the Indian National Congress (Congress) had failed to win a single seat in the recent Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections held across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, asserting that voters were decisively rejecting what he described as the party's “anarchistic politics.”
Nabin's Remarks on X
In a post on X, Nabin drew attention to the Congress's blank scorecard in contests conducted through traditional ballot papers — not electronic voting machines (EVMs). “Congress's score on ballot papers too is 0 in the MLC elections of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh! The public is repeatedly rejecting Congress's anarchistic politics outright. Be it EVM or ballot, the public's trust and blessings are only with the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendramodi ji,” he wrote.
The EVM Narrative in Focus
The remarks carry pointed political weight. The opposition has, in recent months, sustained a high-decibel campaign questioning the integrity of EVMs and alleging large-scale electoral irregularities. By spotlighting the Congress's failure even in ballot-paper-based contests, Nabin sought to undercut that narrative directly. The BJP has consistently maintained that the Congress raises the EVM issue solely to deflect attention from its own organisational and political shortcomings.
Four-State Sweep and What the BJP Argues
The MLC elections in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh had been closely monitored as a gauge of relative party strength. According to the BJP, the Congress's inability to open its account across all four states reflects a deepening disconnect between the grand old party and the electorate. Party leaders interpreted the outcomes as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance record and a repudiation of the Congress's political approach.
Broader Political Context
Nabin's statement is part of the BJP's wider strategy to project the Prime Minister's continued popularity ahead of forthcoming assembly elections. This is not the first time the ruling party has used regional electoral outcomes to build a national narrative — it has employed a similar playbook after state-level wins since 2014. Notably, the MLC format, which involves indirect or limited-franchise voting, can amplify the impact of organisational strength, an area where the BJP has invested heavily in recent years.
What Comes Next
As political temperatures rise ahead of upcoming assembly polls, both the BJP and the Congress are expected to sharpen their campaigns around electoral integrity, governance, and public trust. The BJP is likely to continue using these results as a referendum on Prime Minister Modi's leadership, while the Congress faces pressure to refresh its messaging and organisational ground game in states where it has struggled to gain traction.
Point of View
It attempts a logical flanking move. However, the MLC format — involving a limited, often party-aligned electorate — is structurally different from direct popular elections, and mapping it onto broader public sentiment carries its own distortions. The Congress, meanwhile, faces a dual challenge: it must address genuine organisational atrophy in these states while avoiding a cycle where every electoral setback becomes a fresh platform for the ruling party's dominance narrative. The real question is whether these four-state results reflect ideology or organisation — and that distinction matters enormously for how both parties calibrate their ground strategy before the next big round of assembly polls.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did BJP president Nitin Nabin claim about the Congress in MLC elections?
Nabin claimed on 28 October 2026 that the Congress won zero seats in MLC elections held in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, and that voters were repeatedly rejecting the party's 'anarchistic politics.' He made the claim in a post on X, linking the results to public trust in Prime Minister Modi.
Why are the MLC election results politically significant?
The MLC elections were conducted partly through ballot papers rather than EVMs, making the Congress's zero tally directly relevant to the opposition's ongoing campaign alleging EVM tampering. The BJP used this to argue that the Congress loses under any voting system, not just EVM-based ones.
Which states held the MLC elections in question?
The MLC elections referenced by Nabin were held in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. These four states collectively represent a significant share of India's political landscape and were being watched as indicators of party strength ahead of future elections.
What is the BJP's broader political strategy behind Nabin's statement?
The BJP is using recent electoral outcomes to project Prime Minister Modi's continued popularity and to dismiss opposition claims of electoral manipulation. The party has maintained that the Congress raises EVM concerns only to cover up its own organisational and political failures.
What is the Congress's position on EVMs?
The Congress and other opposition parties have sustained a campaign questioning the integrity of EVMs, alleging large-scale electoral irregularities. The BJP counters that these claims are unsubstantiated and designed to deflect from the Congress's declining organisational strength.
