Congress Wins Zero Seats in 28 MLC Polls Across Four States, Suffers Major Karnataka Setback

The Congress party failed to secure any of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, according to election results reported on October 28. The most significant setback occurred in Karnataka, where the ruling Congress government faced a clean sweep by the BJP-JD(S) alliance across all four contested seats.

Karnataka Results and Local Impact

In Karnataka, where elections were held on October 23, the BJP and JD(S) coalition won all four seats. Notably, JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes in the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency. Other winners included BJP's Shashil G Namoshi in the North-East Teachers' seat, SV Sankanur in the West Graduates' constituency, and KM Suresh in the South-East Graduates' seat. The outcome has placed scrutiny on Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the party's local organisational strength.

Results Across Other States

• Uttar Pradesh: The BJP and Samajwadi Party contested 11 seats, with counting continuing in several areas. The BJP retained seats in Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad, and Lucknow, while the Samajwadi Party secured the Varanasi and Agra teachers' constituencies.
• Bihar: Out of eight contested seats, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won the Patna Teachers' seat, the BJP took the Tirhut Teachers' constituency, and the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) won its first Council victory in Darbhanga by defeating sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha. Independent candidate Rahul Raj won the Saran Teachers' seat, with graduates' constituency counting underway.
• Maharashtra: Results for the five contested seats were still awaited as counting continued between the ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances.

Context and Verification

Legislative Council elections feature a restricted electorate of registered graduates and teachers using preferential voting, meaning the results are not a direct measure of broader public sentiment. However, political analysts note that failing to win a single seat across four states serves as a notable warning for the party. Official outcomes and updates can be verified directly through the Election Commission of India or authorized state election portals.