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A special report and political face-off examine the fallout from the recent MLC elections across 28 seats in four states, where the Congress secured only one win while the BJP suffered key reverses in Nagpur, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
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00:00Good evening, you're with us on To The Point. I am Preeti Chowdhury.
00:03Well, once again, on our political face-off this evening, we're going to reflect on the MLC elections that took
00:10place.
00:1128 MLC seats, four states, and a mixed verdict for all political players.
00:16The Congress has been reduced to just one victory, handing the BJP ammunition over its ballot paper demand.
00:23But the BJP, too, has clear reasons to worry.
00:26With the Congress breaching its Nagpur stronghold and the Samajwadi party making games in Uttar Pradesh,
00:32to even losing a 30-year-old seat in Patna to the RJD.
00:37Here's the full report.
00:4228 MLC seats, four states, and a reality check for the big political players.
00:48The verdict? A mixed bag with political implications far beyond the legislative councils.
00:54For the Congress, the numbers tell a brutal story.
00:58Only one victory across 28 states.
01:01In Karnataka, the BJP-JDS alliance swept all four seats, leaving the Congress empty-handed in a state it governs.
01:10In Bihar, the party failed to win a single seat as the NDA, RJD, Jan Swaraj and Independents made their
01:18presence felt.
01:19And the BJP wasted no time turning the results into ammunition.
01:24They have won zero in Karnataka, zero in country with ballot papers.
01:29At least Mr. Rahul Gandhi should now understand.
01:32Instead of finding some other reason and making somebody as the responsible for his defeat and his party defeat,
01:41he should try to introspect.
01:59The message was unmistakable.
02:08If ballot papers are the Congress' answer to alleged EVM manipulation, what explains this performance?
02:16But Congress President Malik Arjun Khadge is refusing to back down.
02:20Ballot papers still we ask.
02:22It doesn't mean that we should leave because they are winning.
02:26There are people to support and that ego should not be there in BJP, that they have done very well.
02:36If, okay, if that is the case, let them dissolve the parliament and go on ballot paper.
02:45And then came the one result the Congress could celebrate, Nagpur.
02:50Congress' Abhijit Vanjari has retained the Nagpur graduates seat for a second consecutive term,
02:57defeating the BJP on its turf.
03:20Nagpur is Maharashtra Chief Minister Devinder Fadnavis's home city and where the RS's headquarters are located.
03:27Union Minister Nitin Gadkari represented this very seat for 24 years.
03:32But if Nagpur gave the Congress a reason to smile, Uttar Pradesh gave the BJP reason to worry.
03:39Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, the BJP may have retained its overall lead,
03:45but the Samajwadi party has made significant gains.
03:49In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency,
03:53Vara Nasi, the SP, has retained both seats.
03:56The party has wrested the Lucknow graduates' seat from the BJP
04:00and won the Agra teacher's seat previously held by a pro-BJP independent.
04:05For Akhilesh, a boost ahead of 2027.
04:09For the BJP, a warning that its strongholds are no longer impregnable.
04:38These polls may not change governments, but they have changed the political conversation
04:43and given the political parties something to think about.
04:48Bureau Report, India Today.
04:53All right, at the back of the MLC polls, our face-off this evening, BJP versus Congress.
04:58Joining me are Tuhin Sinha, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janta Party,
05:02Dr. Nishant Anand, National Spokesperson, Congress.
05:05I'd like to begin.
05:06It's not audible, pretty.
05:07You can't hear me, Mr. Sinha?
05:10You can't hear me very well?
05:11It's not audible, I can't hear you.
05:13Okay, can we just correct Tuhin Sinha's audio, please?
05:15We're going to do a quick audio check with Tuhin Sinha.
05:18So allow me to begin with Mr. Ranand first.
05:21Mr. Ranand, you know, the fact is, the Congress has won one out of 22,
05:26yet the optics and the posturing seems to suggest that you have the upper hand,
05:32you have swept the MLC polls.
05:35A little dystopian, isn't it?
05:44No audio.
05:45Can you hear me, Mr. Ranand?
05:47No, you can't hear me.
05:49All right, both our guests are not getting their audio right.
05:52We're going to try and quickly correct that audio.
05:55But viewers, I want to take you back on what the MLC elections…
06:00Nishant, you can hear me now?
06:02Yes, yes, I can hear you.
06:03All right, so the question that I asked, a tad bit dystopian,
06:06that you're looking at your one win out of 28 as this big mega success.
06:10How does that add up?
06:12Hi, good evening to all.
06:13See, I'll start by saying, by praising our Honorable Prime Minister,
06:17the result from Nagpur, where the headquarters of the RSS is located,
06:21is simple and clear.
06:22The unregistered organization loss.
06:25This is the same legislative council seat that Mitin Gadkari held for 24 years.
06:30The Nagpur people have sent a direct message to Mohan Bhagavan.
06:38Similarly, the voters of Varanasi have sent a direct message to Narendra Modi.
06:47See, a few months to UP polls, BJP losing in PM's own constituency, and that too, educated votes from teachers
06:55and graduate communities.
06:57Narendra Modi lost in Varanasi.
06:58See, Devendra Furnas lost in Nagpur, Nitin Nami lost in Patna, Rajna Singh lost in...
07:04Mr. Ranar, I have a very basic question to you.
07:07You can make all the claims that you are.
07:10Have you looked at your own house?
07:11You've won one MLC seat.
07:14Yes.
07:15You can't be riding on the successes of the Samajwadi party or the RJD, sir.
07:20See, our DK Sheikh Kumar CM has already replied on the Karnataka seat.
07:25We were not able to held one seat, we lost in Karnataka, but we are happy that we have won
07:31in Nagpur.
07:32See, understand.
07:33You also lost your seat in Bihar to the Jansuraj party.
07:37That was a seat that was held by you.
07:39Correct, but India Alliance has won nine seats in total.
07:44Understand, our Prime Minister lost in Varanasi, Devendra Furnas lost in Nagpur,
07:49Nitin Nabeen, the President of BJP, lost in Patna, Rajnaath Singh lost in Nakhnau,
07:55See, understand why this is important.
07:56For the first time, BJP candidates are losing even when the entire government machinery backing them.
08:02And this is not just a routine election result.
08:05It shows BJP is losing the grip on the country.
08:08Now, I'll give you a few facts.
08:10In Varanasi, where Narendra Modi has been the Member of Parliament for 12 years,
08:14the BJP loss in Bihar, they did not just lose a seat,
08:18they lost their 30-year-old stronghold in the Patna.
08:22Mr. Anand, I'll come right back to you,
08:23because you're saying BJP is losing the grip.
08:25But is the Congress strengthening its grip?
08:28Even that's not happening, sir.
08:29So it's cause for concern for the Congress as well.
08:32Stay with me.
08:32Allow me to bring in Tuhin Sinha into this conversation,
08:34and I'll come back to you for a rebuttal.
08:36Mr. Sinha, until yesterday, what was being celebrated by the BJP,
08:40the BJP also has grave concern,
08:43not just with what has happened in Maharashtra.
08:46Out of five seats that went in, now the Aghari has won three,
08:51you have won two, your alliance.
08:52You have a win which has been registered by the Congress in Nagpur.
08:57On the other hand, with what has happened in Uttar Pradesh,
09:00you also in Bihar.
09:0230-year-old seat, Patna, the core constituency of the BJP,
09:06the educated middle-class Hindi belt.
09:09There seems to be a bit of disaffection there, sir.
09:12Over to you.
09:12Good evening, Preeti.
09:13Good evening, Preeti.
09:14Good evening, everybody.
09:15You know, the tally still is 13 out of 21 seats for the BJP,
09:19one out of 12 seats for the Congress Party.
09:22So the difference is huge.
09:23Having said that, you know, we are always in the introspective mode.
09:26We don't celebrate when we win one out of 12.
09:30For that matter, look at the decline of Congress Party.
09:32In June 2024, they were celebrating 99 seats.
09:36Today, they are celebrating one seat.
09:38Have you seen us celebrating in that manner a consultation win?
09:42So we are always in the introspective mode.
09:44Yes, after being in power for 10 years in Uttar Pradesh for, you know,
09:48nearly two decades in Bihar, some amount of anti-incumbency is inherent.
09:54And, you know, the way we work, we are already taking stop of the situation
09:58and would bounce back before 2024, but 2027 Assembly elections.
10:04But, you know, I think look at the Congress Party.
10:07Today, Sadish Jai Kharoli, one of the ministers in Karnataka, says SIR is completely fine in Karnataka.
10:14Three of their state units have endorsed SIR, Kerala, Karnataka, and Punjab.
10:19I think people are livid at this hypocrisy.
10:22People are livid at this Kanjaru court mentality where you will see a public impeachment of the chief election commissioner,
10:28not without even waiting for the Supreme Court verdict.
10:31I think this is what needs to be, you know, the Congress needs to be taking cognizance of.
10:36And I just heard the congressperson waxing eloquent about Nagpur.
10:40Probably does not know the history of Nagpur.
10:43Before 2014, Congress had won four consecutive Lok Sabha seats.
10:47In fact, while it certainly has the RSS headquarters, it has, you know, Vidharab has always been,
10:53since you have traveled across Maharashtra, you would know that Vidharab has been one of the remaining, you know, Congress.
10:58No, but Mr. Sina, for 24 years, Mr. Gadgari held on to this seat as an MLC.
11:04This is also the seat of prestige for the incumbent chief minister.
11:10But you do say that there is introspection, which I think, Mr. Radhan, something that the Congress lacks,
11:16which is introspection and cost correction, because at least the BJP understands
11:20that there is need for immediate introspection and cost correction,
11:24where Maharashtra is concerned, where Uttar Pradesh is concerned.
11:28Mr. Radhan, it seems the Congress is celebrating the laurels that have been earned by their partners,
11:33like the Samajwadi Party and the RJD.
11:36People are not coming to you, even in a seat in, you know, Bihar,
11:41where you talk about the urban, middle-class voter, educated voter,
11:45is choosing the JSP over you.
11:48Viti ji, if you remember, they said,
11:50abki bar, chaarso bar, chaarso par.
11:53We challenge them, do all elections by ballot paper,
11:56inke nahi honge, ek so chaliz bhi par.
11:57See, if Narendra Modi is so confident,
12:00that the BJP has popular support,
12:02and the EVMs are completely clean,
12:04he should prove it to direct action.
12:06We are challenging them,
12:08conduct all future Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections,
12:11strictly through paper ballots.
12:12They are happy with the results, right, with paper ballots.
12:14So we challenge them to do all elections by paper ballots,
12:18stop these SIR immediately,
12:21and restore 13 crore voters illegally,
12:24which are being removed.
12:25Remove Chief Election Commissioner,
12:28Gyanesh Gupta, from his post,
12:29and repeal the law that gives the lifelong immunity
12:32to Gyanesh Gupta.
12:33So this, Pradhan Bantri was in so hurry yesterday,
12:37that he tweeted with the emoji,
12:39without waiting for the result.
12:41So, Congress has accepted the defeat,
12:44and we have accepted our win.
12:46Abraham Lincoln rightly said,
12:48you cannot fool all the people all the time.
12:50When the educated citizens were given paper ballots,
12:54the truth came out.
12:55Mr. Sinha, you know,
12:56the fact is,
12:57the trance from the BJP to the Congress
12:59have been that these elections happen in paper ballots,
13:01yet you lost.
13:02Now, the dare from the Congress is,
13:04okay, we are happy with the results,
13:06let's hold all elections on paper ballots,
13:07something we've been asking for a while now.
13:09You know, Priti,
13:09you need to understand,
13:11Congress has always been a sore loser.
13:13In 1987,
13:14when they rigged the Jammu and Kashmir elections,
13:17you know,
13:17we had paper ballots,
13:18and that rigging was substantiated by Shashi Tharoor
13:20in an interview in 2017.
13:22But the moment they lost the 1989 looks of election,
13:25it was Rajiv Gandhi who cried foul and said,
13:27you know,
13:27no more paper ballot,
13:29now we need to go for EDM.
13:30So, tomorrow, for a change,
13:32you know,
13:32imagine a situation when we might,
13:35you know,
13:35it's just an imaginary situation,
13:37even if we go for paper ballot,
13:39when they will lose,
13:40they will blame the paper ballot
13:41and say,
13:41let's go back to the EVM.
13:43Have the local body elections not taken place
13:44on paper ballot?
13:46They have lost in Rajasthan,
13:48they have lost in Gujarat,
13:49they have lost in Tripura recently.
13:51Have the Dusu elections not taken place on paper ballot?
13:53They have lost in Dusu elections in Punjab,
13:55in Urissa recently.
13:56So, you know,
13:57it's about issues,
13:58it's about...
13:59Allow you to finish our country, sir.
14:01Election results get decided by issues and intent.
14:05If you, you know,
14:06continue with your anarchist mindset,
14:08people will continue to punish you in the elections.
14:11Very quickly, Mr. Ranand,
14:12make your point.
14:13The real ballot takes place on the 1st of November
14:16at Ramvila Medan,
14:18where the Chalo Dilli call,
14:19see, it's a massive gathering coming,
14:21which will show the true mandate of the country
14:24against the SIR and voter deletion.
14:26And I appeal to all viewers to join us.
14:28And this is not the moment for any single party,
14:31caste, religion or language.
14:32It is the moment of every Indian
14:34to reclaim our democracy
14:35from these destroyers of democracy.
14:39We will fight with them.
14:40Mr. Sinha, you wanted to come in?
14:41Make your point, sir.
14:42Well, this 1st November rally is happening,
14:45you know,
14:46at the cost of betraying the concerns of the traders,
14:49at the cost of betraying the sentiments
14:51of the Sikh community.
14:53And also the kangaroo court,
14:54which you are going ahead with tomorrow,
14:56as a lawyer,
14:58you know,
14:58don't you have faith in the Supreme Court?
15:00The Supreme Court is at a very,
15:02you know, interesting point.
15:03Maybe in the next three or four weeks,
15:05you will have a proper judgment.
15:06Why can't you wait for that?
15:08Why encourage this mindset
15:09where you are, you know,
15:10acting as a kangaroo?
15:12Kangaroo court and dog-
15:13Ten seconds, Mr. Rana.
15:14Make your point.
15:15I'll come back to Mr. Sinha for ten seconds.
15:17Go ahead.
15:18If the BJP genuinely believes
15:20the public stands with them,
15:21stop hiding behind deleted voter lists
15:23and a compromise election commission.
15:25Bring back paper ballots and say that.
15:28Mr. Sinha,
15:30Mr. Sinha, final comment, sir.
15:32Let the court decide that
15:34unless you have,
15:35unless you, you know,
15:36don't have faith in the judiciary,
15:38it is for the Supreme Court
15:39to decide whether the vote,
15:41whether voter list was rigged.
15:42It's not for you to decide.
15:44All right, you know,
15:44you're going to leave it at that.
15:45You are actually infuriating people.
15:47All right, allow me to leave.
15:48I don't have the time.
15:49Allow me to leave it at that.
15:50Well, that was a quick face-off this evening.
15:52Building up again
15:53to the 1st November rally,
15:55which the opposition has called for.
15:56I just want to quickly shift focus
15:59to a very, very important story,
16:00something that we really need
16:01to introspect on.
16:02Three men were sentenced
16:04to life imprisonment
16:05in a cow slaughter case.
16:07But it is the court's reasoning
16:09that has now drawn attention.
16:11A Gujarat court has cited the Vedas
16:14and the Manu Smriti
16:15while sentencing the three accused,
16:18invoking religious beliefs
16:19about the cow
16:20to underline the severity of the crime.
16:24Here's the full report.
16:30Three men,
16:31a cow slaughter case
16:33and a life sentence.
16:35But it is not just the punishment
16:37that has put this Gujarat court's
16:39verdict in focus.
16:40It is the scriptures
16:42the judge cited
16:43while delivering it.
16:45The case dates back
16:46to August 2024.
16:48Police raided a location
16:50in Jamla village,
16:51seizing 277 kilograms of beef,
16:55sharp weapons and a vehicle.
16:58The three men,
16:59according to reports,
17:00had bought old and non-milking cattle
17:02at low prices
17:03and slaughtered them for business.
17:06Of the six accused,
17:08one died during the proceedings
17:09and two were acquitted.
17:11The remaining three,
17:13all Muslims,
17:13were convicted.
17:14The Kalol court
17:16sentenced each
17:17to rigorous imprisonment
17:18for life
17:19and imposed a fine
17:20of three lakh rupees.
17:21The three accused
17:23were convicted
17:23under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act,
17:26among other laws.
17:30Padi judgment went beyond
17:32the legal provisions.
17:33In its observations,
17:35the court cited
17:36the Vedas and the Manusmriti
17:37invoking the religious significance
17:39of cows in Hinduism.
17:42It referred to cows
17:44as the mother of the universe
17:45and noted the belief
17:47that 33 crore deities
17:49reside in them.
17:50Referring to Manusmriti,
17:52the court said,
17:53the text recognizes cows
17:54not as merely animals
17:57but as equals
17:58and is the axis of dharma
18:00or Hinduism.
18:02The court also said
18:03the accused knew cows
18:04were considered mothers
18:06yet went ahead
18:07with the slaughter.
18:08If not punished,
18:10mother cows will go extinct.
18:12That was the court's warning
18:13while convicting the accused.
18:31This is a historical
18:33that the court has been given.
18:38Gujarat Deputy Chief
18:39Minister Harsh Sangvi
18:40welcomed the ruling.
18:42The verdict has now
18:43put the spotlight
18:44not just on the severity
18:45of Gujarat's cow protection law
18:47but also on the role
18:48religious scriptures
18:49played in the court's reasoning.
18:51With Brijesh Doshi
18:53Bureau Report, India Today.