‘How many did Congress win?’: HM Amit Shah blasts Rahul Gandhi over MLC poll results
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a swipe at the Congress party for failing to win a single seat in the biennial Legislative Council (MLC) elections across four states with a social media post on Wednesday.
Taking to ‘X’, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader wrote in Hindi, which, roughly translated, means “How many out of 28 did the Congress win… ‘0’”, adding a barb, “resign, Ballot Box” in an apparent reference to the point that these polls were not held using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that the Congress has repeatedly been alleging as being manipulated.
The accompanying illustration features what appears to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, sitting and staring at the results.
Though MLC results do not determine future Parliamentary or Assembly poll outcomes, they do reflect political influence among specific sections of the society.
The MLC elections were limited franchise contests involving graduates and teachers rather than the broader electorate.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Karnataka, with Janata Dal (Secular) a constituent, secured a clear 4-0 sweep in the state, leaving the ruling Congress in a quandary.
In Uttar Pradesh, the principal contest was between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP), where the former secured victories in multiple constituencies, while the latter won key teachers’ seats and remained the primary Opposition force.
Bihar results reflected a fragmented Opposition landscape, with the BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) winning several seats, the RJD registering a victory, JSP opening its account, and independents securing wins.
The trend continued to be reflected in Maharashtra as well, with the Congress drawing a blank everywhere.
The results come amidst the Congress party’s renewed thrust at launching Rahul Gandhi in a new, aggressive leadership role and as the face of a united Opposition.