Congress Tells PM Modi to Introspect Over BJP’s Losses in Varanasi MLC Polls
Jairam Ramesh urges the Prime Minister to address inflation, unemployment and sluggish private investment, alleging that recent election results reflect public dissatisfaction with the BJP’s policies.
NEW DELHI, Oct 29: The Congress on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the opposition’s performance in the legislative council elections, asking him to introspect over the BJP’s defeat in both Varanasi seats instead of targeting rival parties.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the election results in several cities reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the government’s policies. He cited Varanasi, Nagpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj and Patna while challenging the Prime Minister to examine the political message conveyed by the outcomes.
In a post on X, Ramesh questioned why the BJP had lost both seats in Varanasi, Modi’s parliamentary constituency, and highlighted the Congress’s victory against the BJP in Nagpur, considered a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He accused the Prime Minister of lecturing the opposition rather than addressing concerns affecting ordinary citizens.
Ramesh also raised issues of rising inflation, unemployment and weak private investment, alleging that households were struggling with increasing financial pressure while young people faced limited employment opportunities.
The Congress leader urged Modi to set aside what he described as arrogance and focus on the economic challenges confronting the country. He characterised the recent electoral outcomes as a rejection of the government’s policies.
The exchange followed the Prime Minister’s criticism of the Congress over its performance in the MLC elections, in which voting was conducted using paper ballots rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs).
On Wednesday, the Congress had challenged Modi to support his confidence in the electoral process by agreeing to conduct future Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections through ballot papers.
The party argued that if the Prime Minister believed EVMs did not determine electoral outcomes, he should demonstrate that position through a commitment to paper ballots in upcoming elections.
The debate has renewed political differences over the use of EVMs, with opposition parties repeatedly raising concerns about electoral transparency and demanding a return to paper ballots.
According to the reported results, the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies won 16 of the 28 seats in the legislative council elections held across four states. The Congress secured one seat, while the Samajwadi Party won five seats in Uttar Pradesh, including two in Varanasi.
The results have provided fresh ammunition for the opposition to question the BJP’s electoral performance, while the ruling party has used the Congress’s overall tally to challenge its criticism of the voting system.
The latest exchange underscores the continuing political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over election outcomes, economic conditions and the credibility of the electoral process.
