UP MLC results: BJP loses Varanasi, Lucknow, questions arise ahead of 2027 polls

• BJP wins six of 11 seats in UP MLC polls, while the Samajwadi Party wins five.

• BJP loses the prestigious Lucknow graduate seat as the results raise questions ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.

• In Bihar, the NDA wins four of eight seats, while Jan Suraaj opens its account in the Legislative Council.

The BJP’s defeats in key constituencies, including Varanasi, Lucknow and Agra, in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections have raised questions about the political mood in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has retained or strengthened its position in several constituencies, while the BJP has held on to seats in areas including Meerut and Gorakhpur.

The SP’s victory in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, and its win in the prestigious Lucknow graduate constituency are particularly significant. The results are being viewed as indicators of the mood among urban and educated voters, with employment, paper leaks, the old pension scheme (OPS) and inflation among the issues shaping political debate.

The outcome has also drawn comparisons with the BJP’s defeat in the Ayodhya Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general election. However, Legislative Council elections involve a different and more limited electorate than Assembly polls, making it difficult to draw conclusions about statewide voter sentiment from these results alone.

BJP faces setbacks despite close overall tally

The elections were closely watched because Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had taken charge of the campaign. The BJP’s loss of the Lucknow graduate seat to the SP, the latter’s victory in Varanasi and the BJP candidate’s narrow victory in Gorakhpur by just 307 votes have attracted particular attention.

The BJP won six of the 11 seats, while the SP secured five. Although the overall tally suggests a close contest, the results in prominent constituencies such as Lucknow and Varanasi have raised questions about the BJP’s political standing in these areas. The party also suffered a defeat in Agra.

A semi-final before 2027?

Political observers are viewing the results as an important indicator ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Although the Legislative Council polls are restricted to teachers and graduate voters, this section of the electorate is often considered influential in shaping public opinion.

The results have prompted questions about whether dissatisfaction with the BJP government is growing among educated urban voters. Anti-incumbency, disagreements over candidate selection and factionalism within the party are among the possible factors being discussed.

The SP’s efforts to combine its PDA (backward classes, Dalits and minorities) outreach with support among educated voters are also being examined in the context of its performance.

What the results say about young and educated voters

Yogesh, who closely follows state politics and youth movements, sees the results as more than a straightforward contest between winners and losers. He argues that they offer a substantial ground-level indication of political sentiment.

He estimates that even if each constituency had around 100,000 to 150,000 votes, the results would represent a large sample of voters across the state, distinct from conventional opinion polls.

However, the electorate in these elections is not representative of Uttar Pradesh’s entire population. The results can offer useful insights into political preferences among teachers and graduates, but they cannot independently establish the wider mood across the state.

Ballot paper results revive debate over EVMs

Another significant feature of the elections was the use of ballot papers. Opposition parties, which have repeatedly raised concerns about electronic voting machines (EVMs), have used the results to reinforce their arguments in favour of ballot-based voting.

The opposition maintains that ballot-paper elections provide a clearer picture of voters’ preferences. However, the results of these elections alone cannot establish whether ballot papers or EVMs produce more reliable outcomes.

The BJP retained its presence in constituencies such as Meerut and Gorakhpur, but its defeats in several prominent urban seats have added a new dimension to the debate over electoral processes ahead of the 2027 polls.

Teacher group loses representation after nearly five decades

In another significant development, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh will have no representative in the Legislative Council following the latest elections. This is the first time in nearly five decades that the organisation will not have a member in the House.

The organisation had previously held at least one seat. Its representation ended after Dhruv Kumar Tripathi, formerly associated with the teachers’ group, won from Gorakhpur as a BJP candidate.

The organisation’s president, Om Prakash Sharma, served as an MLC eight times over a period of 48 years.

Winning candidates in Uttar Pradesh

• Meerut graduate: Dinesh Kumar Goyal (BJP)

• Meerut teacher: Shrichand Sharma (BJP)

• Agra graduate: Dr Manvendra Pratap Singh (BJP)

• Agra teacher: Dr Akash Agrawal (SP)

• Allahabad-Jhansi graduate: Dr Man Singh Yadav (SP)

• Lucknow teacher: Umesh Dwivedi (BJP)

• Lucknow graduate: Kanti Singh (SP)

• Varanasi teacher: Lal Bihari Yadav (SP)

• Varanasi graduate: Ashutosh Sinha (SP)

• Bareilly-Moradabad teacher: Dr Hari Singh Dhillon (BJP)

• Gorakhpur-Faizabad teacher: Dhruv Kumar Tripathi (BJP)

NDA wins four of eight Bihar MLC seats; Jan Suraaj opens account

Patna: The BJP-Janata Dal (United) alliance won four of the eight seats contested in the Bihar Legislative Council elections. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party also entered the council after winning the Darbhanga teacher constituency.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won one seat, while independent candidates secured two.

The JD(U)’s Neeraj Kumar won the Patna graduate seat, the BJP’s Sarvesh Kumar won the Darbhanga graduate seat, the BJP’s Narendra Prasad Singh secured the Tirhut teacher seat, and the BJP’s Dr N.K. Yadav won the Kosi graduate seat.

The RJD’s Dr Sanjeev Singh won the Patna teacher seat, while Jan Suraaj’s Dr Suresh Prasad Rai secured the Darbhanga teacher seat. Independent candidates Banshidhar Brajwasi and Rahul Raj won the Tirhut graduate and Saran teacher seats, respectively.

Winning candidates in Bihar

• Patna teacher: Dr Sanjeev Singh (RJD)

• Patna graduate: Neeraj Kumar (JD(U))

• Darbhanga teacher: Dr Suresh Prasad Rai (Jan Suraaj)

• Darbhanga graduate: Sarvesh Kumar (BJP)

• Tirhut teacher: Dr Narendra Prasad Singh (BJP)

• Tirhut graduate: Banshidhar Brajwasi (Independent)

• Saran teacher: Rahul Raj (Independent)

• Kosi graduate: Dr N.K. Yadav (BJP)