The 2026 Legislative Council (MLC) elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra produced several significant results, including the Samajwadi Party’s victories in Varanasi and the Jan Suraaj Party’s first Legislative Council win in Bihar. The elections also brought setbacks for the Congress, which struggled to secure seats across the four states.
BJP Loses in PM Modi’s Varanasi
One of the most closely watched developments came from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency. The Samajwadi Party (SP) won both the Varanasi Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies, defeating BJP candidates in the Legislative Council elections.
Lal Bihari Yadav retained the Varanasi Teachers’ seat, while SP candidate Ashutosh Sinha won the Graduates’ constituency. The results marked an important development for the SP as Uttar Pradesh’s political parties prepare for the 2027 Assembly elections.
However, the Varanasi results do not mean the BJP lost the entire state contest. The BJP secured six of the 11 Uttar Pradesh MLC seats, while the SP won five, according to reported final results.
Jan Suraaj Wins Its First MLC Seat in Bihar
Another major development came from Bihar, where Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party secured its first Legislative Council seat.
Jan Suraaj candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated former Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha in the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency. The victory gave the relatively new political party representation in the state legislature’s upper house.
The results also saw the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) make gains. RJD candidate Sanjeev Kumar Singh defeated BJP veteran Nawal Kishore Yadav in the Patna Teachers’ constituency, ending Yadav’s long hold on the seat, which he had represented since 1996.
The Bihar results reflected a competitive contest involving established parties, newer political forces and independent candidates.
Karnataka: BJP-JD(S) Alliance Wins All Four Seats
Karnataka delivered a significant result for the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance, which won all four Legislative Council seats contested in the state.
The BJP retained three constituencies: North-East Teachers’, South-East Graduates’ and West Graduates’. The JD(S) captured the Bengaluru Teachers’ seat, where A P Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes.
The results represented a setback for the ruling Congress government, which failed to win any of the four seats.
The outcome also highlighted the electoral performance of the BJP-JD(S) alliance among the registered graduates and teachers who participated in these contests.
Maharashtra: Nagpur and Other Constituencies Draw Attention
Maharashtra also witnessed closely contested MLC elections. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance faced challenges from opposition candidates in several constituencies.
Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari won the Nagpur Graduates’ constituency, defeating BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale, according to reported results. Nagpur is politically significant as the home city of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, as well as the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Other reported winners included BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade in Pune Teachers’ and Shiv Sena candidate Kiran Sarnaik in Amravati Teachers’. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates also secured victories in graduates’ constituencies.
The Maharashtra results illustrated the competition between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and opposition parties across the state’s graduate and teacher electorates.
Congress Faces Setbacks Across Four States
The MLC elections proved difficult for the Congress in several constituencies. The party failed to win any of the four seats in Karnataka, while its candidates also faced defeats in Bihar and other contests.
The results became a subject of political debate, with BJP leaders highlighting the Congress’s performance in elections conducted using ballot papers. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, raised concerns about aspects of election administration and counting in certain constituencies.
These claims and counterclaims formed part of the political response to the results and should be distinguished from the officially declared winners.
What Do the 2026 MLC Results Mean?
The elections provide an indication of political support among registered graduate and teacher voters in the constituencies concerned. They also highlight the performance of individual candidates, party organisation and alliances at the local level.
However, MLC elections involve a different electorate from state Assembly elections. Their outcomes alone cannot establish how voters will behave in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections or future contests in other states.
For now, the key developments include the SP’s twin victories in Varanasi, Jan Suraaj’s breakthrough in Bihar, the BJP-JD(S) alliance’s sweep in Karnataka and the Congress’s difficulties across multiple constituencies.
As political parties assess these results, attention is likely to turn to candidate selection, organisational strategy and preparations for upcoming elections.
