Varanasi Says Something: What the UP MLC Results Really Mean

Some election results are small in numbers but big in message. When I read the Uttar Pradesh MLC results yesterday, Varanasi was the name that stood out for me.

Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency. It is the BJP’s showcase for development. And yet, in the Legislative Council elections, the Samajwadi Party won both the Varanasi seats.

What actually happened

Elections were held on October 23 for 11 UP Legislative Council seats, five graduate and six teacher constituencies, using ballot papers. Results came on October 28.

• Varanasi Teachers’ seat: SP’s Lal Bihari Yadav won for a second straight term with 11,612 votes, defeating BJP’s Dr Pramod Mishra by about 5,000 votes, as reported by Aaj Tak.
• Varanasi Graduates’ seat: SP’s Ashutosh Sinha won. In the counting rounds he was well ahead of BJP’s Kedar Singh.
• Overall: BJP won six seats and SP won five, according to the Hindustan Times.

So let us be fair. The BJP did not collapse. It held both Meerut seats, Bareilly-Moradabad, Lucknow Teachers’, Agra Graduates’ and Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’. Its tally of six is the same as in 2020. But the SP went up from three to five.

Why Varanasi hurts

Teachers and graduates are educated, thinking voters. When they choose differently in the PM’s own city, every party notices. Lal Bihari Yadav said the result shows teachers’ anger against BJP policies. That is his claim, and the BJP will see it differently. But the margin speaks for itself.

There were also tense moments. Clashes were reported during counting in Varanasi, and the SP alleged voter-list manipulation. These are allegations, and they should be checked properly, not just repeated.

A small signal before a big fight

Uttar Pradesh goes to Assembly polls in early 2027. MLC polls have a small, special electorate, so I will not call this a wave. But politics runs on mood, and this result gives the SP and its allies a boost in morale.

For the BJP, it is a reminder that no stronghold is permanent. Every voter, even in the most famous constituency, wants to be heard.

Gorakhpur also saw a close contest and a row over counting, as Times Now reported. In a state this big, even small swings in special constituencies are worth watching carefully, because they show where the mood among educated voters is moving.

What I learned as a political observer

In Andhra Pradesh too, we have seen how graduates and teachers vote with their heads. They watch salaries, jobs, pensions and how they are treated. Any party that ignores them pays a price. I believe this is true for every party, including the ones I support.

Do you think the Varanasi result is a warning sign for the BJP in 2027, or just a local story? Share your view below.