Full Breakdown
BJP’s Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Setback in Varanasi and Nagpur Highlights Ballot-Paper Debate
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In this breakdown
01
Core Event
On October 23 2026, biennial Legislative Council elections were held in graduate and teachers’ constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka. All 28 seats were contested with ballot papers, a demand of opposition parties. The BJP secured 13 seats; the NDA and its allies reached 16, while the Congress won one seat and the Samajwadi Party (SP) captured both seats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi parliamentary constituency.
02
Background & Context
MLCs are elected by limited electorates—graduates, teachers, local bodies and legislators—rather than the general public. Opposition parties have long argued that electronic voting machines (EVMs) lack transparency and have called for a return to paper ballots. The 2026 poll was the first nationwide use of ballot papers for these seats, testing the BJP’s claim that EVMs do not affect outcomes.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
Data & Statistics
- Seats contested: 28 (four states).
- BJP won 13; NDA allies (including Shiv Sena, JD (S)) added 3 for a coalition total of 16.
- Congress secured 1 seat (Nagpur Division Graduates).
- SP won 5 seats in Uttar Pradesh, including both Varanasi seats.
- Nagpur result: Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari 67,231 votes vs BJP’s Sudhakar Kohale 63,960 (margin 3,271).
- Varanasi Teachers’ seat: SP’s Lal Bihari Yadav 10,958 vs BJP’s Pramod Mishra 6,060.
- Varanasi Graduates’ counting began on October 27 and remained incomplete.
- Uttar Pradesh overall: BJP retained 6 of 11 seats; SP held 5.
04
Official Statements & Responses
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: “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?”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh urged the prime minister to reflect on the BJP’s losses in Varanasi and Nagpur, calling the taunts “sermonising.”
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav hailed the Varanasi victories as a “major political message” and warned that the BJP’s defeat signalled public anger.
Congress leader Pawan Khera demanded that the BJP prove its confidence by adopting ballot-paper voting for all future elections.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin dismissed the Congress as “anarchist” and claimed voters repeatedly rejected its politics.
05
Criticism & Opposition
- Akhilesh Yadav alleged manipulation in counting, saying the BJP “has been completely wiped out in the UP MLC elections.”
- Supriya Shrinate, Congress spokesperson, said the BJP “lost everything … when elections happened by ballot.”
- Nitesh Rane (BJP MLA) blamed Shiv Sena’s last-minute support for an independent candidate in Pune for the alliance’s loss of three seats in Maharashtra.
06
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Counting in the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency began on October 27 and was still underway, leaving the final margin uncertain. Different outlets reported varying lead figures for SP candidate Ashutosh Sinha (e.g., a lead of 9,000 votes after five rounds versus 16,984 in later updates).
07
What’s Next
Congress has announced a protest in Delhi on November 1 and a mock “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, reiterating its demand for ballot-paper voting in all future Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. The BJP said it will review the results, with senior leaders such as Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal promising an internal assessment of candidate selection and alliance coordination. The Varanasi graduate count is expected to be finalized soon, after which both parties will gauge the impact on the 2027 state assembly contests.