Congress leader Pramod Tiwari has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commit to ballot papers for upcoming elections in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, as well as the 2029 election.

Tiwari made the remarks while responding to Modi’s on X about Congress’s poor performance in recent MLC polls. The Congress leader argued that the MLC elections were conducted using ballot papers and questioned why the same system could not be used for future elections.

Tiwari’s challenge to Modi

Addressing the Prime Minister, Tiwari said Modi was probably the first prime minister to comment on a limited election involving members of legislative councils. He said the result could be understood in the context of ballot-paper voting.

Tiwari then challenged Modi to announce that the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would also be held on ballot papers. He specifically named Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab before referring to the 2029 election.

The remark was made in response to Modi’s criticism of Congress over its showing in the MLC polls. a seat-by-seat result or a complete account of the elections is not yet available.

References to pilgrcentres

Tiwari also referred to Ayodhya, Kashi, Prayagraj and Mathura. He said the Congress was seeing a message from these pilgrsites after alleged “chanda chori”, a phrase meaning donation theft.

That statement was Tiwari’s political claim. It does not establish that wrongdoing occurred, and no investigation, charge or court finding is identified in the available information.

Reports published on 28 October 2026 separately described the exchange as a Congress challenge to Modi over the use of ballot papers after his comments on the MLC results. Those reports, including coverage by The Hindu, The Federal, The Times of India and The Indian Express, also identified the dispute as a response to the Prime Minister’s remarks about Congress’s performance.

What happens next

Tiwari’s demand places the question of voting methods at the centre of the political exchange. His proposal covers elections in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, followed by the 2029 election.

No announcement from the Prime Minister accepting the proposal is included in the available material. The immediate development is therefore a public challenge from Congress rather than a confirmed change in election procedure.

Conclusion

Pramod Tiwari has responded to Narendra Modi’s comments on Congress’s MLC poll performance by demanding ballot-paper voting for upcoming elections in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and for the 2029 election. No acceptance of that demand has been reported in the available information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What did Pramod Tiwari demand?

Tiwari demanded that upcoming elections in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab be held using ballot papers. He also included the 2029 election in his demand.

Q. Why did Tiwari raise the issue of ballot papers?

He said the MLC polls discussed by Modi were held using ballot papers and questioned why future elections could not follow the same method.

Q. What prompted Tiwari’s remarks?

His remarks followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s X about Congress’s performance in the MLC polls.

Q. Which places did Tiwari mention?

He referred to Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Ayodhya, Kashi, Prayagraj and Mathura.

Q. Did Modi accept the ballot-paper proposal?

The available information does not report any acceptance of Tiwari’s proposal by Modi.

Q. What did Tiwari mean by “chanda chori”?

Tiwari used the phrase while making a political claim about a message from pilgrsites. The available material does not establish wrongdoing or identify any related legal finding.