Legislative Council elections on October 23, 2026, filled 28 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka using ballot papers.
Coverage stresses the BJP’s criticism of Congress’s poor showing and calls the opposition’s ballot-paper demand a political stunt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X questioning Congress’s Council wins, where Congress kept the Nagpur Graduates’ seat and Mallikarjun Kharge said protests will continue while urging Parliament dissolve for ballot-paper voting.
Blindspot
Counting officials reported irregularities, including 675 extra ballot papers in one booth and an unsealed ballot box, prompting protests by candidates and observers.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center- and Right-leaning coverage.
History
Facing disputes in the October 23 2026 Legislative Council polls in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, parties recall the Election Commission of India's shift to electronic voting in the late 1990s. Developed by ECIL and BEL after a 1982 Kerala trial, EVMs streamlined counting and can record up to 2,000 votes per machine, shaping today’s integrity debates.
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Unsealed ballot box
On October 23 2026, Legislative Council elections were held for 28 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka using ballot papers.
Only teachers and graduates could vote, excluding the broader public from these Legislative Council contests.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP lost Varanasi, Patna and Nagpur with ballot-paper voting.
Counting officials flagged 675 ballots and an unsealed box, sparking protests by candidates and observers.
