Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday challenged the BJP to hold elections through ballot papers to clear doubts over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
As votes for the Karnataka elections were counted and the BJP seemed set to emerge the single largest party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray agreed with Uddhav Thackeray.
"This is a victory for the Electronic Voting Machine," he tweeted.
Uddhav pointed out that the BJP was losing bypolls but winning Assembly elections.
"If you (BJP) trust yourself, hold elections through ballot papers once," Uddhav Thackeray said, reacting to the Karnataka election results.
"When so many people are asking for it, it will clear apprehensions (on the use of EVMs) once and for all," Uddhav told reporters.
Elections come and go, he added when asked about the Karnataka elections being the first major poll battle after Rahul Gandhi became Congress president.
"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. One should keep working," he said.
The Sena leader congratulated the BJP for its success in Karnataka polls and hoped that people of that state would now witness 'Acchhe Din'.
Last week, the Shiv Sena had accused the BJP of voter rigging using EVMs. It claimed the BJP had adopted the earlier Congress approach of winning elections by 'hook or crook'.
Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) could together form the next government in Karnataka.
"If statesmanship is shown, this can happen as we together have a majority in the Karnataka Assembly," the Congress leader told the media.