Stop sermonising others; introspect why BJP lost Varanasi seats in MLC polls: Cong slams PM

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his taunt at the opposition party's showing in the MLC elections, saying he must stop trolling and sermonising others and instead reflect on why the BJP lost both seats in his own parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that from Varanasi and Nagpur to Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Patna, the people have clearly passed a "no-confidence motion against" the PM's policies.

"The Prime Minister needs to introspect, but instead, he's sermonising others! Before counting Congress's seats, I wish he'd also reflect on why the BJP lost both seats in his own parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, and how Congress managed to defeat the BJP in RSS's stronghold of Nagpur?" Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X.

"Mr. Modi, stop the trolling. Crores of families are reeling from back-breaking inflation, the youth are unemployed, and private investment has ground to a halt," he said.

Drop the arrogance and reflect on these issues, Ramesh said.

"From Varanasi and Nagpur to Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Patna, the people have clearly passed a no-confidence motion against your policies," the Congress leader said.

The Congress on Wednesday had hit back at Prime Minister Modi over his taunt, saying that if the PM is so confident that EVMs have no bearing on election results, he should prove his confidence in the BJP's electoral prowess through action, not rhetoric.

The Congress said if the PM believes that EVMs have no bearing on the election results then he should commit to conducting all Lok Sabha and upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections by ballot paper, going forward.

The opposition party's assertion came after Prime Minister Modi taunted the Congress for its dismal show in the MLC elections despite the use of paper ballots, a key demand of opposition parties in their campaign against EVMs.

The BJP and its NDA allies won 16 of the 28 seats in the legislative council elections held across four states as the Congress won one, while the Samajwadi Party emerged winner in five seats in Uttar Pradesh, including two in Varanasi.