New Delhi. In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent criticisms of the Congress party following the MLC election results, Congress has launched a sharp counterattack.
The party has advised the Prime Minister to focus on pressing issues such as soaring inflation and declining private investment rather than lecturing others. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated that the electorate in Varanasi, Nagpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Patna has clearly expressed a lack of confidence in the Prime Minister’s policies.
Ramesh took to social media to suggest that the Prime Minister should engage in self-reflection instead of making comments about others. He questioned why the Bharatiya Janata Party faced defeat in both seats of Modi’s own parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, before counting Congress’s seats. He also highlighted how Congress managed to defeat the BJP in Nagpur, a city considered a stronghold of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Ramesh urged the Prime Minister to set aside arrogance and address the issues of youth unemployment and economic challenges facing the nation.
Meanwhile, amid ongoing debates regarding the use of EVMs and ballot papers in the electoral process, Pawan Khera, head of Congress’s media department, also responded to the Prime Minister’s statements. He asserted that if the Prime Minister believes EVMs do not influence election outcomes, he should take practical steps to demonstrate this rather than just making statements. Khera called for all upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to be conducted using ballot papers and emphasized the need for improvements in voter lists to ensure electoral transparency. Congress leaders argue that without concrete actions on these issues, such statements lack justification.