MLC Election Results 2026: Congress Draws a Blank Across Four States as BJP-JD(S) Sweeps Karnataka

Congress suffered a setback in the 2026 Legislative Council (MLC) elections across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, failing to win any of the seats declared in the latest results. The BJP-JD(S) alliance swept all four seats in Karnataka, while the BJP and Samajwadi Party (SP) secured victories in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party registered its first Legislative Council win by defeating a sitting Congress MLC. Counting was still underway in several constituencies, particularly in Maharashtra, as of October 28.

The BJP-JD(S) alliance secured all four Legislative Council seats in Karnataka, dealing a blow to the ruling Congress government led by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The BJP retained three constituencies — North-East Teachers’, South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’ — while its ally JD(S) wrested the Bengaluru Teachers’ seat from Congress.

JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes in the Bengaluru Teachers’ constituency. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna’s 9,902. BJP candidate Shashil G Namoshi retained the North-East Teachers’ seat, defeating Congress nominee Sharanappa Mattur by 3,297 votes. The BJP also won the South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’ constituencies.

The result marked a clean sweep for the opposition alliance, despite campaigning by senior Congress leaders. However, the outcome does not threaten the immediate stability of the Congress government, as these elections involve a limited electorate of registered graduates and teachers.

Uttar Pradesh MLC Results: BJP Wins Four Seats, SP Secures Two

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and Samajwadi Party emerged as the principal winners among the declared results for 11 Legislative Council constituencies. The BJP retained four seats, including both Meerut constituencies, the Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers’ seat and the Lucknow Teachers’ seat.

The Samajwadi Party won the Varanasi Teachers’ constituency through sitting MLC Lal Bihari Yadav and the Agra-Aligarh Teachers’ seat through Akash Agrawal. Counting continued in several other constituencies. SP candidates were also leading in some graduates’ seats, while disputes over the counting process and allegations of irregularities added to the political tensions surrounding the results. The final tally remained subject to further counting and official declarations.

Bihar MLC Election Results: Jan Suraaj Opens Account, RJD Defeats BJP Veteran

Bihar witnessed several significant contests in the Legislative Council elections, with the BJP, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jan Suraaj Party and an Independent candidate securing victories in Teachers’ constituencies. Jan Suraaj Party candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha by 324 votes in the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency. The victory marked the party’s first win in the Bihar Legislative Council.

In another major result, RJD candidate Dr Sanjeev Kumar defeated BJP veteran Nawal Kishore Yadav in the Patna Teachers’ constituency, ending Yadav’s long hold on the seat. The BJP won the Tirhut Teachers’ constituency through Narendra Prasad Singh, while Independent candidate Rahul Raj defeated sitting MLC Afaq Ahmed in the Saran Teachers’ constituency. Counting continued in the remaining Graduates’ constituencies, with some results still awaited in the latest available update.

Maharashtra MLC Election Results: BJP Leads in Nagpur as Counting Continues

In Maharashtra, counting continued for five Legislative Council seats amid a contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). In the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency, BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale was leading sitting Congress MLC Abhijit Wanjari by 4,294 votes after the second round of counting.

Kohale had secured 60,924 votes, compared with Wanjari’s 56,630. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale received 24,249 votes, while 15,106 votes were declared invalid. However, none of the candidates had reached the required winning quota of 75,438 votes at that stage. The final outcome depended on further counting and the transfer of preferential votes. In the Amravati Teachers’ constituency, Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Sarnaik was also leading as counting continued. The final results for Maharashtra’s seats were still awaited in the latest report.

MLC Elections 2026: Polling, Constituencies and Key Details

The biennial Legislative Council elections covered 28 seats across four states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Polling took place on October 23, 2026, and counting began on October 27. The contests involved registered graduate and teacher voters rather than the general electorate.

The seats included 11 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, eight in Bihar, five in Maharashtra and four in Karnataka. Voting was conducted using ballot papers, with preferential voting playing an important role in determining winners. The results are politically significant, particularly for Congress, which failed to secure a win among the seats declared in the latest updates. However, these elections should not be treated as a direct measure of public opinion across the four states because the electorate is restricted to specific professional categories. Counting and the declaration of results were expected to continue, with the election process scheduled to be completed by October 31.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2026 03:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).