Uttar Pradesh MLC results: Samajwadi Party scores big in both Varanasi seats

UP MLC election results: The Samajwadi Party retained the Varanasi Teachers' MLC seat and is set for a decisive victory in the Varanasi Graduates' constituency.

In Short

• Samajwadi Party retains Varanasi Teachers' MLC seat
• SP set for win in Varanasi Graduates' constituency
• BJP has won five UP Legislative Council seats so far

Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party landed a political punch in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections. The Samajwadi Party retained the Varanasi Teachers' MLC seat and is set for a decisive victory in the Varanasi Graduates' constituency. The SP also won the Agra seat, even though the BJP had the overall edge, winning five seats and leading in one.

The BJP won the Lucknow Teachers', Meerut-Saharanpur Teachers', Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers', and Meerut-Saharanpur Graduates' constituencies, along with one other seat. Elections were held for 11 UP Legislative Council seats, with the results being viewed as a critical barometer for political parties ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Now, you must be wondering what are graduates' and teachers' constituencies? These constituencies exist in states that have a legislature with two houses - the assembly and the council.

At the time of the drafting of the Constitution, there was a feeling that having some members of the Council elected only by the educated would help reduce the effects of caste, religion, money or muscle power.

Coming back to the UP MLC election results.

VARANASI MLC ELECTION RESULTS 2026

The two constituencies in Varanasi were the most closely watched, given that they fall within the Prime Minister's constituency.

In the Varanasi Teachers' seat, SP's Lal Bihari Yadav defeated BJP's Pramod Kumar Mishra by 4,898 votes. On the other hand, Samajwadi Party's Ashutosh Sinha is set to decisively win the Varanasi Graduates' constituency over BJP candidate Kedar Nath Singh.

Yadav said teachers stood firmly with the Samajwadi Party and credited party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his victory. "The party has been able to contest strongly across all seats in UP because of the positive approach of our national president," Yadav told ANI.

He said that just as 'Netaji' was regarded as a leader of teachers, Akhilesh shared the same outlook. Samajwadi Party stalwart and Akhilesh's father Mulayam Singh Yadav was fondly called 'Netaji' by his supporters.

Yadav asserted that the contentious UGC Bill, which proposed regulations to address caste-based discrimination in universities, had no impact on the election. The legislation has been stayed by the Supreme Court.

"Teachers who wanted security for their jobs stood firmly with the Samajwadi Party," he further said.

WHAT DOES SP'S WIN IN VARANASI MEAN?

Samajwadi Party leaders described the victory as a bellwether for next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, stressing that it signals shifting sentiment in the BJP's stronghold.

For Akhilesh Yadav, the strong showing in Varanasi offers a significant psychological boost and bragging rights ahead of the big battle in 2027. For the BJP, it is a setback in PM Modi's constituency. It signals localised discontent and policy-related concerns among middle-class voters.

However, despite the high-stakes loss in Varanasi, the BJP delivered a strong overall performance across other regions of the state, successfully guarding its turf in western and northern Uttar Pradesh.

- Ends