Gorakhpur: A polling official handles ballot papers during the counting of votes for the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Division Teachers' Constituency Legislative Council (MLC) election in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
Lucknow, October 28 A fierce contest is unfolding between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party in the Legislative Council (MLC) elections for the ‘Teachers’ and ‘Graduates’ constituencies—a contest viewed as a key indicator of the political climate in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections. In the ongoing counting for 11 seats, the BJP has secured four, while the Samajwadi Party’s Lal Bihari Yadav has won the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency.
The BJP has retained both the Teachers’ and Graduates’ seats in Meerut. In the Lucknow Teachers’ constituency, Umesh Dwivedi achieved a hat-trick by winning for the third consecutive time. Meanwhile, the counting of votes for the remaining seats continues. Polling for these 11 seats—comprising five Graduates’ and six Teachers’ constituencies—took place on October 23. A total of 152 candidates contested the election, with their fate now being determined by the counting of votes cast by approximately 14.81 lakh electors.
The counting process began at 8:00 AM on Tuesday across seven centers in the state. Tight security arrangements are in place, with the proceedings monitored via CCTV cameras and videography. The BJP emerged victorious in both the Teachers’ and Graduates’ seats for the Meerut-Saharanpur division; BJP candidate Shrichand Sharma won the Teachers’ seat with 18,099 votes, while Dinesh Goyal secured the Graduates’ seat with 24,928 votes.
In the Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers’ constituency, the BJP’s Dr. Hari Singh Dhillon emerged victorious. Meanwhile, in the Lucknow Teachers’ constituency, the BJP’s Umesh Dwivedi secured a hat-trick by winning for the third time in a row. Following his victory, Umesh Dwivedi expressed his gratitude to the teachers and the voters. He stated, “I express my gratitude and thanks to all my respected teachers and fellow voters. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Bharatiya Janata Party, PM Modi, CM Yogi, and the party’s millions of workers and office-bearers for placing their trust in me.”
Meanwhile, in the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency, Lal Bihari Yadav of the Samajwadi Party emerged victorious. Following his win, he remarked that the BJP’s claims of winning both seats had proven hollow. He added that teachers had placed their faith in Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s campaigning had no impact on the election.
Lal Bihari Yadav also accused the administration of harassing his supporters during the election. He alleged that some individuals were placed under house arrest, while others were pressured not to leave their school premises. There has been no official response from the administration regarding these allegations so far.
In the Agra Teachers’ constituency, a dispute arose between the Samajwadi Party and BJP candidates during the vote counting process. SP candidate Akash Agarwal alleged that he was assaulted at the counting center and that his *kurta* was torn. He held BJP supporters responsible for the incident. Following the event, tension escalated at the counting center, with supporters from both parties confronting one another.
Conversely, BJP workers dismissed the allegations, claiming that Akash Agarwal had torn his own *kurta*. BJP workers also staged a sit-in protest. Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar stated that both sides were accusing each other of assault, and the situation remained contentious at the counting center.
The vote counting for the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ constituency is taking place at the Commerce Department of Gorakhpur University. Here, the Samajwadi Party boycotted the counting process, alleging electoral malpractice. SP leaders claimed that the democratic process was being compromised, and that administrative officials and observers were allegedly working to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate. These allegations have not been independently verified. A tough contest between the BJP and the SP is also being witnessed in the graduate constituencies. In the Allahabad-Jhansi division graduate constituency, SP candidate Dr. Mansingh Yadav has taken the lead following the fifth round of counting. For the Lucknow graduate seat, SP candidate Kanti Singh has been leading since the initial rounds.
Meanwhile, in the Varanasi graduate seat, the contest is between the SP’s Ashutosh Sinha and the BJP’s Kedar Singh. It has been reported that the counting of first-preference votes is underway here. The result for this seat is expected to be declared today. Currently, the counting of votes continues in the remaining constituencies. The final standing of the BJP, SP, and other candidates across all 11 seats will become clear only after the final results are announced.
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