The Congress might believe that the country’s electronic voting machines are rigged in favour of the BJP, but party member and Karnataka Chief Minister insists that at least in the two Assembly constituencies it won on Thursday, the EVMs worked just fine. After the results came in and it was clear the Congress had won the two seats for which bye-polls were held last week, Siddaramaiah said the EVMs had definitely not been manipulated.

“In Karnataka, in these two bye-polls, EVMs weren’t tampered with,” he told ANI, though the Congress has been pushing the Election Commission to revert to conducting elections using the paper ballot system.

Siddaramaiah also thanked voters and said he already knew that these bye-polls would not be a test for the people’s faith in his party.

Of the 10 seats across eight states where bye-elections were held last week, Congress won the two in Karnataka – Nanjangud and Gundlupet. While counting is still under way, the BJP has won five seats so far, and the TMC took one in West Bengal.