"The problem is not in the EVM machines, nor in the voter lists": BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on NDA victory in Karnataka MLC elections

BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party over their allegations regarding the electoral process, claiming that the results of the Legislative Council elections showed the party had failed to win public support even in elections conducted using ballot papers and ballot boxes.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi over their allegations regarding the electoral process, claiming that the results of the Legislative Council elections showed the party had failed to win public support even in elections conducted using ballot papers and ballot boxes. Addressing a press conference, Trivedi said the Congress party is at zero in the MLC elections and alleged that its claims of vote theft were an attempt to divert attention from its electoral performance.

“Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, who made a storm out of a lie about the electoral process instead of just letting it go. Their desire for anarchy seems to have been shattered today by the results of the MLC elections. In the elections held for state legislative councils across various states in India, the Congress is currently at zero. They might not like it, but they are at zero,” Trivedi said. Trivedi argued that the use of ballot papers and ballot boxes in the elections undermined the Congress’s allegations against electronic voting machines (EVMs). He claimed that the party had failed to secure public support regardless of the voting method.

“These elections were held using ballots, ballot boxes, and ballot papers. Even in those elections, the Congress failed to make its presence felt. To help the Congress folks understand this better, I would like to say that they have failed to prove their existence. This makes it clear that the Congress lacks the ability to win the support of the public or the voters in any kind of election, whether it is done using EVM machines or ballot papers,” he said. The BJP leader further attacked Gandhi, alleging that his (Gandhi’s) political activities and proposed protests would not help the party gain public support.

“So I would like to tell the Congress party that if a person is delusional or has lost their mind, even if you hold elections using ballot papers, they will still come up empty. Therefore, the Congress party should understand that Rahul Gandhi, who is talking about holding protests to create problems in India’s economy after touring and sightseeing for about two weeks, should realize that neither the public nor the MLAs are with you,” Trivedi said. He also referred to BJP leaders’ political engagements, contrasting them with Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Vietnam, which he described as sightseeing.

“Our national president Nitin Nabin ji is going to Uttar Pradesh. Amit Shah ji is in Punjab and what Rahul Gandhi is roaming around in Vietnam and then he thinks he will get public support,” he said. Trivedi reiterated that the Congress should abandon its allegations of vote theft and focus on its political work.

“The problem is not in the EVM machines, nor in the voter lists, nor in the ballots; the problem is in the delusion in their minds and in the habit of not working. That is why I would like to tell Congress again: give up your habit of not working; the word vote theft will automatically drop from your mouth,” he said. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), made up of the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) won all four seats (4-0) in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections. These elections were held for two Teachers' and two Graduates' seats.

Voting took place across 19 districts, covering nearly two-thirds of Karnataka. This included the home districts of former CM Siddaramaiah and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Winning these seats gives the BJP-JD(S) alliance a strong message: that educated professionals, teachers, and young graduates support the NDA over the ruling D.K. Shivakumar government. The NDA ran three BJP candidates and one JD(S) candidate. In Bengaluru Teachers, JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeated five-time Congress MLC Puttanna.In North-East Teachers, BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi won for the fifth time, defeating Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes (15,596 votes to 12,299).

Counting finished in Kalaburagi, where about 30,253 people voted. Of those votes, 28,380 were valid and 1,873 were rejected. In the graduates' seats, BJP candidates S.V. Sankanur and K.M. Suresh also won, completing the NDA's total sweep of all four seats. In the West Graduates' seat, Sankanur won for the third straight time, defeating Mohan Limbikai of the Congress. (ANI)