MLC Polls: Congress Wins Zero Seats Across 4 States, Karnataka Setback Adds To Concerns

AAP Releases 1st List Of 40 Candidates For Punjab Polls, Bhagwant Mann To Contest From Dhuri

ABP Live News — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 12:17:46 +0530

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, with sitting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seeking re-election from Dhuri, which is considered a stronghold for the party. Jailed minister Sanjeev Arora has been fielded from the Ludhiana West seat.

CM Mann said the 40 names, including his, have been announced after the meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP.

Punjab Assembly elections are due in early 2027, with polling expected around February-March. The five-year term of the 117-member Punjab Assembly ends on March 16, 2027.

The list was relased a day after the party's top decision-making body met at the residence of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal to discuss potential candidates for the upcoming polls.

"The names will be discussed again during the PAC meeting tomorrow, October 31st. The first list of candidates will be released tomorrow," Mann said on Friday.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru: 2 Foreign Nationals Die Of Suspected Electrocution At 5-Star Hotel Pool; 2 Injured In Rescue

Kejriwal, Mann, Sisodia Attend PAC Meeting

The meeting was attended by AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the party's Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia. AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Jasmine Shah were also present.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and state AAP president Aman Arora joined the discussions through video conferencing.

The PAC deliberations come as the party begins the process of selecting candidates for the 2027 Assembly elections.

ALSO READ: Inside Poland’s Midnight Showdown: Court Chief Suspended, Riot Police Deployed, President Cuts Short Trip

ECI Reviews Punjab's Poll Preparedness For 2027 Elections

Separately, a delegation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a district-wise review of poll preparedness in Punjab on Wednesday.

The delegation included Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma, Deputy Election Commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu, Director General (IT) Seema Khanna and Director General (Media) Ashish Goyal.

The officials held detailed discussions with all 23 District Election Officers, Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police. Officials from the districts presented updates on the status of election preparations.

The ECI delegation stressed strict compliance with its guidelines, transparency in administrative processes, timely completion of pre-poll activities and robust enforcement measures across the state.

Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer assured the delegation that all election-related tasks would be completed diligently and within the stipulated timelines, in accordance with the Commission's instructions, to ensure free, fair, transparent and inclusive polls.

'Will Implement UCC If BJP Returns To Power In 2027': Amit Shah's Big Promise For UP

Vivek Rai — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:19:01 +0530

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced that the BJP would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttar Pradesh if the party returns to power in the state for a third consecutive term, months ahead of the Assembly elections.

Addressing the BJP's State Working Committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah said several states had already implemented the UCC and asserted that Uttar Pradesh would follow suit if voters gave the BJP another mandate.

“This time, when the government comes to power, UCC will be implemented in Uttar Pradesh. UCC has already been implemented in many states. If you form the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, we will implement UCC in Uttar Pradesh,” Shah told party colleagues.

Shah also countered the Opposition amid the ongoing allegations and protest over vote theft, saying the BJP was ready to discuss the matter in Parliament. Slamming the opposition for blaming the umpire after losing the match, he challenged them to convene a special session to debate the issue.

ALSO READ: 'Modi Nahi Jayenge': Women Chant 'Modi Won't Leave' As PM Poses For Group Photo At Gujarat Cattle Farm

Amit Shah Recounts BJP's Electoral Journey In UP

At the meeting, Shah also invoked the BJP's electoral performance in Uttar Pradesh and urged party workers to prepare for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Recounting the party's electoral journey, Shah said the BJP had only 44 MLAs in 2014 and that he had travelled down to the tehsil level to strengthen the organisation. “Once the organisation was set right, in 2014 we won 73 seats in UP with 41 per cent of the vote,” he said.

Referring to the 2017 Assembly elections, Shah said demonetisation had taken place before the polls and claimed that then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had been unable to sleep through the night.

“In 2017, demonetisation had happened, so Akhilesh could not sleep all night. We won 312 seats with 40 per cent of the vote,” he said.

ALSO READ: Manoj Tiwari Takes A Dip In Yamuna, Declares 30 Km Of River Clean; AAP Says Drink Water At Kalindi Kunj

BJP's State Working Committee Meeting In Lucknow

Shah kicked off the proceedings of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh State Working Committee meeting, held months before the state Assembly elections. The meeting was chaired by state BJP president and Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and several senior party leaders attended the meeting at an auditorium of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University.

Other prominent attendees included BJP state in-charge and national general secretary Vinod Tawde and national general secretary Smriti Irani. BJP MLC and former state general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla conducted the proceedings.

Shah arrived in Lucknow amid a slight drizzle and was welcomed at the airport by Adityanath, Chaudhary and other party leaders. At the venue, he lit a ceremonial lamp and paid floral tributes to portraits of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, as slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' echoed through the auditorium.

Gadkari Loyalist's Rebellion, Invalid Votes, Mahayuti Partners' Role: What Went Wrong For BJP In Nagpur?

ABP Live News — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:04:27 +0530

The BJP's defeat in the Nagpur Graduates' constituency, considered one of its strongest political bastions and the home turf of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has triggered introspection within the party and exposed cracks in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjarri won the seat for a second consecutive term, defeating the BJP's Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. Wanjarri was the only Congress nominee to win the MLC elections held across 28 graduates' and teachers' constituencies in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on October 23.

“I used brains against BJP's might,” Wanjarri said after his victory.

The result has also brought the BJP's candidate selection under scrutiny. Former MLC Anil Sole, a close aide of Gadkari who was denied a ticket, contested as an Independent. He withdrew from active campaigning only after Fadnavis visited his residence to resolve the dispute. However, the extent to which Sole's rebellion affected Kohale's prospects remains unclear.

Invalid Votes, Rebellion Add To BJP's Nagpur Challenge

More than 15,000 votes were declared invalid in Nagpur. These included nearly 9,000 ballots allegedly marked with the number '2' against Kohale's name but without preferences being indicated for the other 37 candidates.

The high number of invalid votes raised questions over voter errors as well as possible discontent with the BJP's candidate selection. Kohale has said he would appeal against the invalid votes.

The Nagpur seat was particularly significant for the BJP. Gadkari represented the graduates' constituency from 1990 to 2014.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who was in charge of the campaign, accepted responsibility for the defeat and said the party would examine what went wrong.

“We tried hard and our party workers and leaders met the voters from the graduates’ constituency. However, there seem to have been some shortcomings. We will introspect to understand the reasons for the defeat,” Bawankule said on Thursday.

He added that the BJP would work to win the seat in the next election.

ALSO READ: ‘Tejashwi + Prashant Kishor’: Lalu's Daughter Rohini Acharya Floats New Formula To Counter BJP In Bihar

BJP To Review Mahayuti Partners' Role In Poll Defeats

Bawankule also indicated that the BJP would examine whether any of its Mahayuti allies had failed to support the alliance candidates.

The BJP had attached importance to both the Nagpur Graduates' and Pune seats and had planned extensively to secure victories, he said. Asked whether the Shiv Sena had failed to support the BJP in the elections, Bawankule said the party would review the role of every alliance partner instead of indulging in a blame game.

“Instead of a blame game, we will review which partner of the Mahayuti did not work in favour of the alliance candidate,” he said.

The BJP contested three seats in Maharashtra but won only the Pune Teachers' constituency, where its candidate Kaustubh Gawade defeated Shiv Sena rebel Sachin Sanap.

The allies had earlier clashed over seat-sharing in Pune, with the Shiv Sena backing rebels against BJP nominees. Bawankule said the party would identify those responsible for working against its candidates and take corrective measures.

“We'll track down who played spoilsport. Corrective measures will be taken,” he said.

A BJP member alleged that Shiv Sena workers campaigned against the party's candidate Smita Jadhav in the Pune Teachers' constituency, contributing to her defeat. The member said the Mahayuti could have won all five seats had its constituents contested unitedly.

The Shiv Sena, however, hit back. Its Pune unit chief Ravindra Dhangekar said the BJP should stop taking its alliance partners for granted, adding that the election verdict had served as a reality check for the party.

ALSO READ: 'Let Me Handle Politics': Fadnavis Takes Dig At Thackeray Cousins, Uddhav, Raj Respond With Wit

NCP-Sena Rift Also Comes To Fore In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The results also exposed differences within the Mahayuti in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Pratapsinh Patil defeated the NCP's Satish Chavan.

Shiv Sena veteran Abdul Sattar admitted that he had backed the candidate fielded by Sharad Pawar's party instead of supporting his alliance partner's nominee. He attributed the decision to the NCP's candidate selection.

“This time, the candidate selection was wrong, so we did not campaign for him,” Sattar said, adding that educated voters were moving away from the alliance.

The NCP failed to win any of the seats it contested. Party chief Sunetra Pawar said every electoral outcome offered a lesson.

How The Maharashtra MLC Results Were Split

Polling for the Pune Graduates', Nagpur Graduates', Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates', Pune Teachers' and Amravati Teachers' constituencies was held on October 23. Counting began on October 27, and the results were declared on October 28.

The Congress won the Nagpur Graduates' seat, while the NCP (SP) secured the Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituencies. The BJP won the Pune Teachers' seat, and the Shiv Sena bagged the Amravati Teachers' constituency.

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.

‘Tejashwi + Prashant Kishor’: Lalu's Daughter Rohini Acharya Floats New Formula To Counter BJP In Bihar

Bharathi SP — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:15:41 +0530

With the Bihar Legislative Council election results triggering fresh political calculations, Rohini Acharya, daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, has suggested a possible coming together of Tejashwi Yadav and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor to defeat the BJP-led NDA in the state.

In a social media post, Rohini argued that combining the votes secured by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Jan Suraaj could have prevented the NDA from winning several seats in the recently concluded polls.

Her post, in a rough translation, read: “The MLC elections in Bihar have provided a formula to defeat the BJP/NDA in the state: TJ + PK = BJP/NDA ZERO. If the votes secured by the RJD and Jan Suraaj are combined, the BJP/NDA would lose all eight seats in the very first round of counting. PS: Just wait and see what happens next!!”

She followed it with another post highlighting the importance of opposition unity and preventing a division of votes. She said, “The BJP has always benefited from a fragmented opposition. If the opposition unites - armed with the right strategy and a strong grassroots base - and prevents the splitting of votes, defeating the BJP is entirely possible. A united opposition possesses much stronger social and political equations.”

How RJD-Jan Suraaj Votes Could Change The Numbers

Rohini's argument is based on a comparison of first-preference votes polled by the RJD and Jan Suraaj candidates against those secured by the NDA across the eight constituencies.

In Darbhanga Graduates', the NDA candidate received 14,774 votes, while the combined RJD-Jan Suraaj tally stood at 22,713. In Kosi Graduates', the corresponding figures were 24,258 and 34,454. Patna Graduates' also showed a similar gap, with the NDA securing 16,267 votes against the opposition's combined 25,163.

ALSO READ: 'Let Me Handle Politics': Fadnavis Takes Dig At Thackeray Cousins, Uddhav, Raj Respond With Wit

The teachers' constituencies reflected the same trend. In Saran, the NDA polled 2,440 votes against the combined 3,707 of the two opposition parties. In Patna, the figures were 3,149 and 4,652, respectively.

Darbhanga Teachers' recorded 812 NDA votes against 2,700 combined opposition votes, while Tirhut Teachers' saw the NDA secure 1,872 against 3,048.

Tirhut Graduates' Remains An Exception

The combined-vote calculation did not favour the opposition in every constituency. Tirhut Graduates' was the only seat where the NDA candidate's 19,913 first-preference votes exceeded the combined RJD and Jan Suraaj tally of 17,258.

Individually, Jan Suraaj won one seat, while the RJD secured two in the Legislative Council elections.

ALSO READ: Bhutan Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Triggers High Alert In Assam, West Bengal; Border Districts On Watch

Will Tejashwi Yadav And Prashant Kishor Join Hands?

Rohini's suggestion has brought the possibility of an RJD-Jan Suraaj understanding into Bihar's political discussion. However, the combined vote figures represent a hypothetical scenario rather than an actual electoral outcome.

Vote transfers between parties cannot be assumed, as voter preferences may differ depending on candidates and constituencies.

Neither Tejashwi Yadav nor Prashant Kishor has responded to the proposed formula so far. RJD leaders have also declined to comment on the possibility of such an alliance.

MLC Election Winner Announced: Who Won Where In UP, Bihar, Maharashtra And Karnataka? Check Full List

Sneha — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 17:37:06 +0530

The results of the MLC elections held across four states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka — have been declared. The BJP won the highest number of seats in the elections held for 28 seats, while the Congress managed to win just one seat, dealing a setback to the grand old party.

Despite emerging as the biggest winner overall, the BJP lost the Varanasi teachers’ constituency, located in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, and the Nagpur graduates’ constituency, which falls in the parliamentary constituency of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Here is the state-wise and party-wise list of winners in the MLC elections.

Uttar Pradesh MLC Election Results: Full List Of Winners

Meerut Graduates’ Constituency: Dinesh Kumar Goyal (BJP)
Agra Graduates’ Constituency: Dr Manvendra Pratap Singh ‘Guru Ji’ (BJP)
Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ Constituency: Dr Man Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party)
Lucknow Teachers’ Constituency: Umesh Dwivedi (BJP)
Varanasi Teachers’ Constituency: Lal Bihari Yadav (Samajwadi Party)
Agra Teachers’ Constituency: Dr Akash Agrawal (Samajwadi Party)
Meerut Teachers’ Constituency: Shrichand Sharma (BJP)
Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers’ Constituency: Dr Hari Singh Dhillon (BJP)
Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ Constituency: Dhruv Kumar Tripathi (BJP)
Lucknow Graduates’ Constituency: Kanti Singh (Samajwadi Party)
Varanasi Graduates’ Constituency: Ashutosh Sinha (Samajwadi Party)

Bihar MLC Election Results: Full List Of Winners

Kosi Graduates’ Constituency: Dr NK Yadav (BJP)
Saran Teachers’ Constituency: Rahul Raj (Independent)
Patna Teachers’ Constituency: Dr Sanjeev Singh (RJD)
Tirhut Teachers’ Constituency: Narendra Prasad Singh (BJP)
Darbhanga Teachers’ Constituency: Dr Suresh Prasad Rai (Jan Suraaj Party)
Patna Graduates’ Constituency: Neeraj Kumar (JD(U))
Tirhut Graduates’ Constituency: Banshidhar Brajwasi (Independent)
Darbhanga Graduates’ Constituency: Sarvesh Kumar (BJP)

Maharashtra MLC Election Results: Full List Of Winners

Pune Teachers’ Constituency: Kaustubh Gawde (BJP)
Amravati Teachers’ Constituency: Kiran Sarnaik (Shinde-led Shiv Sena)
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates’ Constituency: Pratapsinh Patil (Sharad Pawar faction)
Pune Graduates’ Constituency: Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav (Sharad Pawar faction)
Nagpur Graduates’ Constituency: Abhijit Wanjari (Congress)

Karnataka MLC Election Results: Full List Of Winners

Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency: AP Ranganath (Janata Dal (Secular))
North-East Teachers’ Constituency: Shashil G. Namoshi (BJP)
South-East Graduates’ Constituency: KM Suresh (BJP)
West Graduates’ Constituency: SV Sankanur (BJP)

BJP’s Kedarnath Singh Concedes Defeat In Varanasi MLC Polls: 'Accept Mandate With Humility'

ABP Live News — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:36:50 +0530

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kedarnath Singh has conceded defeat in the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency election, sharing an emotional message on Facebook as counting of second-preference votes continues. Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ashutosh Sinha is leading by 16,984 votes, according to the latest figures cited in the report.

After the counting of second-preference votes, Sinha secured 50,462 votes against Singh’s 33,674, giving the SP candidate a substantial lead in the contest.

In his Facebook post, Singh thanked voters for their support and said he accepted the public mandate with humility, despite falling short of his expectations. He also reaffirmed his commitment to public service.

‘Public Service Is Not Dependent On Results’

Singh expressed gratitude to graduate voters in the Varanasi constituency for placing their trust in him and supporting his candidature.

“I accept the public mandate with complete humility and democratic decorum. Although we did not achieve the expected success in this election, the affection, cooperation, and trust I received from all of you will always remain invaluable to me,” he wrote.

The BJP candidate said politics was not simply about gaining power or holding a position, but about fulfilling responsibilities towards society and remaining committed to public service. He added that the election result would not change his resolve to serve the people.

BJP Candidate Thanks Party Workers, Supporters

Singh also thanked senior BJP leaders, alliance office-bearers, party workers and supporters for their efforts during the election campaign. He praised the dedication and hard work of party workers, acknowledging their contribution to his campaign.

Emphasising that success and failure were part of the democratic process, Singh said his commitment to the interests and concerns of the graduates’ constituency would continue regardless of the result.

“I will continue to remain among you, just as I have always been, and will uphold my commitment to the interests, concerns, and aspirations of the graduate constituency,” he wrote.

Singh added that the affection and trust of voters would continue to inspire him, reiterating his pledge to remain engaged with the constituency.

Counting Continues In Varanasi

Counting in the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency began on October 27 and remains underway. According to the latest figures cited in the report, Sinha has secured 50,462 votes after the second-preference count, compared with 33,674 for Singh.

The SP candidate’s lead stands at 16,984 votes, while the counting process continues.

UP MLC Polls: BJP Faces Setbacks In Varanasi, Close Contest In Gorakhpur; SP Gains Ground

ABP Live News — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:42:24 +0530

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained its overall lead in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections, winning six of the 11 graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies that went to the polls. The Samajwadi Party (SP) won five seats, improving its tally ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The results saw the SP increase its seat count from three in the 2020 elections to five, while the BJP maintained its tally of six. The outcome also highlighted the close contests between the two parties in constituencies where registered graduates and teachers form the electorate.

The BJP faced setbacks in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, where the SP won both the teachers’ and graduates’ seats. In Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s stronghold, BJP candidate Dhruv Tripathi narrowly retained the teachers’ seat, defeating Independent candidate Rajeev Yadav by just 307 votes.

BJP Retains Key Seats, SP Makes Gains

The BJP retained the Meerut Graduates’ seat, where Dinesh Kumar Goyal won, and the Agra Graduates’ seat, where Manvendra Pratap Singh defeated his rival. In the teachers’ constituencies, the party won Lucknow, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad and Gorakhpur-Faizabad.

The SP won the Agra-Aligarh Teachers’ constituency, where Akash Agrawal defeated BJP candidate Hari Kishore Tiwari. It also retained the Varanasi Teachers’ seat, where Lal Bihari Yadav emerged victorious.

The party added to its tally with victories in the Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ constituency, where Maan Singh Yadav won, and the Lucknow Graduates’ seat, where Kanti Singh Patel defeated BJP incumbent Awanish Kumar Singh. In the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency, SP candidate Ashutosh Sinha defeated BJP candidate Kedar Nath Singh.

BJP’s Narrow Win In Gorakhpur

The contest in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ constituency proved particularly close. BJP candidate Dhruv Tripathi defeated Independent candidate Rajeev Yadav by 307 votes, securing a narrow victory in the chief minister’s home region.

The SP had fielded Sanjayan, a BJP rebel, but the reported vote figures indicated that SP voters backed Independent candidate Rajeev Yadav. The result highlighted the tight contest in the constituency, even as the BJP retained the seat.

The BJP retained five of the six seats it had won in 2020 and gained one more, while the SP retained its three seats and added two. Independent MLCs Dhruv Tripathi and Akash Agrawal, who had won the Gorakhpur-Faizabad and Agra teachers’ seats in 2020, respectively, had since moved to the BJP and the SP.

Congress Wins Nagpur MLC Seat In Maharashtra

In a separate setback for the BJP, the Congress retained the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency in Maharashtra, with incumbent MLC Abhijit Vanjari winning for a second consecutive term. The constituency is in the home region of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Vanjari secured 67,231 votes, defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale, who received 63,960 votes. The Congress leader won by a margin of 3,271 votes, while Independent candidate Nitesh Karale also contested the election.

The Nagpur result added to the BJP’s electoral setbacks in the two states, even as the party maintained its overall lead in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections.

Congress Scores First MLC Poll Win, Deals Blow To BJP As Abhijit Wanjarri Retains RSS’ Nagpur Bastion

Bharathi SP — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:26:29 +0530

The Congress has retained Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, with sitting MLC Abhijit Wanjarri defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes. The result is a setback for the BJP in Nagpur, home to the RSS headquarters and the political base of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Wanjarri secured 67,231 votes against Kohale’s 63,960, with counting concluding in the early hours of Thursday after more than 40 hours of vote counting that began on Tuesday morning.

BJP Fails To Retain Its Nagpur Stronghold

The outcome is significant for the BJP, which has traditionally enjoyed considerable influence in the constituency. Gadkari represented the graduates’ seat in the Legislative Council for 24 years, from July 1990 to May 2014.

Despite extensive campaigning by both Gadkari and Fadnavis for Kohale, the Congress managed to retain the seat. The result also marks the Congress’s first victory in the ongoing Legislative Council elections covering 28 seats across Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Wanjarri, a lawyer and educationist, first won the constituency in 2020. Contesting again on a Congress ticket, he received the backing of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Although 38 candidates contested the election, the main battle was between Wanjarri and Kohale, a former MLA.

ALSO READ: SIR Detects Only 1,600 Foreigners Across States Compared With Crores Of Voter Deletions

‘Voters Stood With Us’, Says Wanjarri

Following his victory, Wanjarri said the BJP had mobilised its leadership and resources for the election but failed to win over voters.

“The BJP exerted all its might—all their leaders were present in Nagpur—yet the voters stood with us,” he said on October 28.

He also attributed the result to coordination among Congress leaders and the MVA, while acknowledging the support extended by various organisations during his campaign.

“This victory belongs to the workers and leaders of those very organisations,” he said, referring to the 48 organisations mentioned in his campaign material.

ALSO READ: ‘I’m A Dimagi Naxal’: Naseeruddin Shah Backs Jamia Protesters, Questions Govt Over Student Crackdown

MVA Wins Three Of Five Maharashtra MLC Seats

The Nagpur constituency was among five seats contested in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. The MVA won three seats, while the BJP and Shiv Sena secured one each, according to results cited by the parties. The Election Commission’s formal announcement was awaited in the initial reports.

The Nagpur victory comes after the Congress suffered a setback in Karnataka, where it lost all four Legislative Council seats contested in the state.

Counting Tension As Congress Celebrates Win

Congress workers celebrated Wanjarri’s victory by raising slogans against the BJP. The counting process had also witnessed clashes between workers of the two parties outside the Mankapur Indoor Stadium, prompting police intervention to restore order.

Wanjarri’s second consecutive victory ensures that the Congress retains the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency, delivering a significant result in a region where the BJP has a strong organisational presence.

MLC Results: BJP-NDA Wins 16 Seats, SP Emerges Strong In UP With 2 Wins In Varanasi

PTI — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 22:25:46 +0530

Lucknow/Bengaluru: The BJP and its NDA allies won 16 of the 28 seats in the legislative council elections held across four states as the Congress drew a blank while the Samajwadi Party emerged winner in five seats in Uttar Pradesh, including two in Varanasi.

Results were declared in all but one seat - Nagpur Graduates' constituency in Maharashtra which is heading for a nail-biting finish involving BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale and Congress' sitting MLC Abhijeet Wanjari.

Two Independent candidates won in Bihar, where the Jan Suraaj Party opened its account while five sitting MLCs lost their seats.

In Karnataka, the ruling Congress suffered a massive setback as it failed to win any of the four seats. The BJP won three and the JDS one seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked the Congress after its dismal show despite the use of paper ballots, a key demand of opposition parties in their campaign against EVMs.

"MLC elections in 28 seats across 4 big states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. Elections held using ballot papers. Guess how many seats Congress won," Modi said in a post on X.

The BJP-led ruling Mahayuti won two seats in Maharashtra while the Opposition NCP (SP) bagged two.

In Bihar, the BJP won three seats while the JD(U) and the RJD bagged one seat each.

Elections to the six teachers' and five graduates' constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, four each in Bihar, two each in Karnataka, and three graduates' and two teachers' constituencies in Maharashtra were held on October 23.

Counting was done since Tuesday.

Only graduate and teacher voters are eligible to participate in these elections. Ballot papers, rather than electronic voting machines, are used for polling.

The BJP also took on the Congress over its defeat, saying this makes it clear that the main opposition party cannot gain people's support in elections, whether conducted using EVMs or ballot papers.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his party's performance, saying he should realise that public support is earned through hard work, not through "leisure trips".

The Congress hit back at Modi, saying if the prime minister is so confident that EVMs have no bearing on election results, he should prove his confidence in the BJP's electoral prowess through action, not rhetoric.

It said he should commit to conducting all Lok Sabha and upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections by ballot paper.

In Karnataka, the JD(S) wrested the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency from the Congress. The BJP registered victory in North-East Teachers', South-East Graduates' and West Graduates' constituencies, defeating the Congress candidates.

Although the outcome will not impact the Congress government's stability, it is being seen as a result of BJP-JD(S) opposition consolidation and serves as a moral victory for the bloc.

While the results of Bengaluru Teachers' and North-East Teachers' constituencies were declared on Tuesday, the counting continued overnight in the other two segments, officials said on Wednesday.

Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra said the NDA's victory is a rejection of the ruling Congress and a pointer to the 2028 assembly elections.

Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Congress respectfully accepts the people's verdict and acknowledged that the party fell short of its expectations. He also said the party would analyse the message given by the people and take corrective measures.

In Uttar Pradesh, SP's Mansingh Yadav won from the Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates' constituency.

The BJP's Manvendra Pratap Singh (Guruji) won the Agra Graduates' constituency and also retained the Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers' seat, with its candidate Hari Singh Dhillon defeating SP nominee Danish Akhtar.

The BJP also won the Lucknow Teachers' constituency, where its candidate Umesh Dwivedi defeated SP's Sushil Kumar.

In Meerut, the BJP won both the Teachers' and Graduates' constituencies.

In the Gorakhpur-Faizabad division Teachers' constituency, BJP's Dhruv Kumar Tripathi won.

The Varanasi Teachers' constituency was won by Samajwadi Party's Lal Bihari Yadav.

In the Agra-Aligarh Teachers' constituency, SP candidate Akash Agrawal defeated BJP nominee Hari Kishore Tiwari.

SP candidates won in Varanasi and Lucknow Graduates' constituencies.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav urged winning party candidates to avoid victory processions and instead use social media to communicate their success to people.

In a post on X, he cautioned the winners against any activity that could cause disturbance, alleging that the BJP could attempt to create trouble and blame the SP for it ahead of the assembly elections due early next year.

Earlier, he shared on X a video in which the party's winning candidate from Agra-Aligarh Teachers' seat Akash Agrawal was seen wearing a torn kurta, with his supporters alleging that he was assaulted.

"Let the BJP explain how the treatment meted out by its people to SP MLC candidate, Dr. Akash Agrawal, who is winning from Agra, can be justified," he said.

The former chief minister urged the Election Commission, the Supreme Court and the President to take cognisance of the matter immediately.

The MLC polls are being seen as a prestige battle between the ruling BJP and the opposition SP ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena's Kiran Sarnaik won the Amravati Teachers' constituency.

In Pune Teachers' constituency, BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade won.

In the Pune Graduates' constituency, NCP (SP) candidate Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav won.

In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Graduates' constituency, NCP (SP) candidate Pratapsinh Patil was the winner.

Jan Suraaj Party's Suresh Prasad Rai defeated sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha by 324 votes in the Darbhanga Teachers seat in Bihar.

BJP candidate Narendra Prasad Singh had on Tuesday trounced his nearest rival, independent nominee Bhushan Kumar Jha, to win the Tirhut Teachers' constituency.

Two BJP MLCs, Sarvesh Kumar and N K Yadav, retained Darbhanga Graduates' and Kosi Graduates' seats, respectively.

In the Patna Graduates constituency, JD(U)'s Neeraj Kumar defeated the RJD candidate.

Fifth-term BJP MLC Nawal Kishor Yadav failed to retain Patna Teachers' constituency, conceding the seat to Sanjeev Kumar of the RJD.

In the Saran Teachers constituency, sitting MLC Afaq Ahmed was defeated by independent candidate Rahul Raj.

Another Independent candidate Bansi Dhar Brajwasi retained the Tirhut Graduates' constituency.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

MLC Polls: Congress Wins Zero Seats Across 4 States, Karnataka Setback Adds To Concerns

Vinita Bhat — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:54:43 +0530

The MLC election results across 28 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka have raised uncomfortable questions for the Congress. The biggest setback, however, appears to be in Karnataka, where the party is in power but has failed to win a seat. The outcome is particularly significant given the importance of the state to the Congress' national political standing. With counting continuing in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, the results so far offer the party a moment to reflect on its electoral strategy.

Karnataka Jolt

For the Congress, Karnataka is arguably the most worrying part of this electoral picture. The party governs the state, making its performance in the MLC elections a test of its organisational reach beyond the Assembly. The result raises questions about whether being in power has translated into sufficient support among the specific groups that vote in teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies.

The role of the state leadership also merits scrutiny. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is a key organisational figure in Karnataka and has been closely associated with the party’s election management. Against that backdrop, the outcome is a setback that the state unit cannot afford to dismiss lightly.

However, MLC elections involve a limited electorate and should not be treated as a direct reflection of the mood across the entire state. The result is a warning sign, rather than conclusive proof of a wider collapse in support.

Also Read: ‘Guess How Many Seats Cong Won?’ PM Modi Takes Swipe At Rahul Over MLC Poll Results

A Wider Warning

The Congress’s performance across the four states adds to the concern. While the Samajwadi Party managed to win seats in Uttar Pradesh and challenge the BJP, the Congress failed to register a victory in the results. This contrast raises questions about the party’s ability to build a strong regional presence and turn alliance arrangements into electoral gains.

The results also carry political significance amid the Opposition’s allegations of electoral irregularities and demands for greater scrutiny of the voting process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized on the Congress’s performance to take a dig at the party, pointing out that the elections were conducted using ballot papers.

Also Read: 'Roll It Back In 24 Hours': AAP Threatens Stir Over Delhi Liquor Booking App