The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has emerged as a dominant force in the Legislative Council elections across four states. The alliance swept all four seats in Karnataka and maintained an overall advantage in Uttar Pradesh, even as the Samajwadi Party (SP) registered notable victories. In Bihar, the NDA increased its tally from three seats to four despite facing significant challenges.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance faced difficulties arising from rebel candidates and internal disagreements. It was leading in three of the five seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was ahead in two constituencies as counting continued on Wednesday.
The results provide a boost to the NDA ahead of crucial Assembly elections in seven states: Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Himachal Pradesh. They have also highlighted the Congress's organisational weaknesses in key areas, including Karnataka, where the party is in power.
The biggest setback for the Congress came in Karnataka, where it failed to win any of the four seats it contested. The BJP retained three constituencies, while its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), wrested the Bengaluru Teachers' seat from the Congress.
The MLC results have emerged at a politically sensitive time for the BJP-led government at the Centre. Political observers believe the ruling party is facing some of its toughest challenges after more than a decade in power. Opposition protests over the Election Commission of India's revision of electoral rolls, demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and allegations of institutional bias have added to the pressure on the government.
Against this backdrop, the results offer the BJP and its allies an opportunity to demonstrate that their political machinery remains competitive on the ground.
However, the outcome must be interpreted cautiously. The MLC elections held on October 23 differ from Assembly elections because voting is restricted to specific categories of electors rather than the general population. Nevertheless, the results provide an indication of the relative strength of political parties among registered teachers and graduates across the four states. They also offer insights into the organisational capabilities, alliances and local influence of the contestants.
KARNATAKA: RULING CONGRESS LOSES ALL FOUR SEATS
Karnataka delivered the clearest victory for the NDA and the most significant setback for the Congress. The BJP won three seats, while the JD(S) secured the fourth, giving the alliance a clean sweep.
The most politically significant result came from the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency, where JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna.
Puttanna, a veteran politician, had moved from the JD(S) to the BJP before joining the Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. He had won the Legislative Council seat for the Congress in a 2024 by-election.
The BJP retained the North-East Teachers' constituency and won the South-East Graduates' and West Graduates' constituencies. The results demonstrated the NDA's ability to coordinate its campaign across all four seats, including the constituency where the JD(S) emerged victorious.
For the government led by Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's party, the outcome represents an uncomfortable political development. It provides the BJP and JD(S) with an opportunity to strengthen their alliance as Karnataka prepares for Assembly elections in less than two years.
The timing has added to the importance of the results. The contest was closely watched as a test of coordination between the BJP and JD(S), which have sought to consolidate their partnership following earlier setbacks and questions about the transfer of votes between the two parties.
BJP RETAINS ADVANTAGE IN UP MLC POLLS AS SP MAKES GAINS AHEAD OF 2027 ELECTIONS
The results for the 11 Legislative Council seats contested in Uttar Pradesh present a mixed picture. The BJP retained its overall advantage in the state, winning six seats by Wednesday evening. However, the SP secured four victories and was leading in the remaining Varanasi Graduates' constituency. The results point to a competitive contest between the two parties ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The BJP's victories included Lucknow Teachers, Meerut-Saharanpur Teachers, Meerut-Saharanpur Graduates, Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers and Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers.
The SP won Lucknow Graduates, Varanasi Teachers, Agra Teachers and Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates. Counting was still underway in Varanasi Graduates, where SP candidate Ashutosh Sinha was leading BJP nominee Kedar Nath Singh.
The SP's performance in Varanasi carries particular symbolic significance. The party retained the Varanasi Teachers' seat, where Lal Bihari Yadav defeated BJP candidate Pramod Kumar Mishra. Since Varanasi is represented in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the victory offers the SP a political boost. However, the result cannot be interpreted as a rejection of the BJP by the city's entire electorate.
The SP's victories in Agra Teachers and Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates also demonstrate its ability to challenge the BJP in selected constituencies. With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, these wins provide Akhilesh Yadav's party with an opportunity to highlight its influence among teachers and graduates.
In the 2020 MLC elections, the BJP won six of the 11 seats, while the SP secured three and Independents won two. If the SP also wins the remaining Varanasi Graduates' seat, the BJP will retain its tally of six, while the SP will increase its count from three to five.
The results indicate that the BJP remains ahead in these constituencies, even as the SP has strengthened its position.
NDA WINS HALF OF BIHAR MLC SEATS AS JAN SURAaj OPENS ACCOUNT
Bihar delivered a fragmented verdict in the Legislative Council elections, with the NDA winning four of the eight seats and improving its tally from three.
The BJP won three seats and its ally JD(U) secured one. The RJD and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party won one seat each, while Independent candidates captured the remaining two. The Congress failed to win a seat.
The RJD's Sanjeev Kumar Singh defeated BJP veteran Nawal Kishore Yadav in the Patna Teachers' constituency, ending his nearly three-decade hold on the seat.
In Tirhut Teachers', the BJP defeated the sitting CPI MLC. Jan Suraaj candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated former Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha in Darbhanga Teachers'. In Saran Teachers', BJP rebel Rahul Raj won as an Independent candidate.
Among the graduates' constituencies, JD(U) candidate Neeraj Kumar retained Patna Graduates' despite opposition from Mokama MLA and political strongman Anant Singh.
The BJP won Darbhanga Graduates' and Kosi Graduates', while Independent candidate Vanshidhar Brajwasi secured Tirhut Graduates'.
Jan Suraaj's victory marked the party's first win in a Legislative Council election. The result came at the expense of the Congress, which lost a seat contested by one of its former state presidents.
The RJD's victory in Patna Teachers' was another significant development. Its candidate defeated BJP veteran Nawal Kishore Yadav, who had held the seat since 1996.
Despite these setbacks for established parties, the NDA's improved tally reflects its continued presence in Bihar's graduate and teacher constituencies.
MAHAYUTI MAKES GAINS AS CONGRESS FACES SETBACKS IN MAHARASHTRA
The five MLC seats in Maharashtra tested the cohesion of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which has faced disagreements over seat-sharing, candidate selection and support for rebel candidates.
The BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led NCP agreed on a 3:1:1 seat-sharing arrangement. However, the agreement did not eliminate friction among the allies.
As counting continued on Wednesday evening, the Mahayuti had won two seats and was leading in another, while the opposition MVA was ahead in two constituencies.
Differences within the ruling alliance were particularly visible in Pune Teachers', where the BJP fielded Kaustubh Gawde while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena supported Independent candidate Sachin Sanap.
In Nagpur, former BJP MLA Anil Sole rebelled against the party's nominee before withdrawing following intervention by senior leaders. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar reportedly backed the opposition NCP (SP) candidate against the official Mahayuti nominee, further highlighting disagreements within the alliance.
The results offered a mixed picture for the ruling coalition. BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawde won Pune Teachers', while Shiv Sena's Kiran Sarnaik secured Amravati Teachers'.
The BJP's Sudhakar Kohale was leading sitting Congress MLC Abhijeet Wanjari in Nagpur Graduates'. Meanwhile, the NCP (SP) was ahead in the Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituencies.
With preferential-vote counting still underway in some seats, the final tally had not been settled.
The Maharashtra contest therefore tested both the ruling alliance's coordination and the opposition's ability to take advantage of internal differences. The MVA, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), also faced disagreements over seat-sharing and candidate selection.
The Congress suffered setbacks in two constituencies it had won in 2020. Its sitting Pune Teachers' MLC Jayant Asgaonkar was eliminated during counting, while Abhijeet Wanjari was trailing in Nagpur Graduates'.
The results must also be viewed in the context of Maharashtra's changing political alignments.
In the 2020 elections, the then-undivided NCP won the Pune and Aurangabad, now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Graduates' seats. The Congress secured Nagpur Graduates' and Pune Teachers', while an Independent candidate won Amravati Teachers'. The BJP failed to win any of the five seats.
Those elections took place before Maharashtra underwent major political upheavals. The Shiv Sena split in 2022, followed by the NCP's division in 2023, significantly altered the state's political landscape.
The current Mahayuti government comprises the BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sunetra Pawar-led NCP. The opposition MVA brings together the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).
WHAT THE MLC RESULTS MEAN FOR THE BJP AND THE OPPOSITION
Taken together, the results give the BJP-led NDA a political advantage, although they do not represent an unequivocal mandate across all four states.
Karnataka delivered a complete sweep for the alliance, Maharashtra produced a mixed outcome, Uttar Pradesh saw the BJP retain its lead alongside significant SP gains, and Bihar exposed vulnerabilities among several established parties.
For the BJP, the timing of the results is important. The party and the Union government are facing sustained scrutiny over the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and civil society groups have taken their campaign from Parliament and party offices to the streets, challenging the government's handling of electoral institutions and raising questions about democratic accountability.
The MLC results provide the BJP with an opportunity to counter that criticism by highlighting its electoral performance.
The NDA's victories indicate that the alliance continues to mobilise voters and rely on established political networks even as it faces criticism over the functioning of institutions.
The sweep in Karnataka is particularly significant for the NDA because it demonstrates coordination between the BJP and JD(S) ahead of Assembly elections expected in less than two years.
