28 MLC polls in 4 states: Congress wins zero, suffers major hit in Karnataka

The Congress failed to win any of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across four states. The BJP-JD(S) sweep in Karnataka is the biggest setback for the party that is in power, raising alarm bells over the DK Shivakumar-led government's organisational strength and its ability to secure support among professional voters.

In Short

• Congress won zero in the biennial elections for 28 MLC seats across 4 states
• BJP-JD(S) win in all 4 seats of Karnataka is huge setback for ruling Congress
• Party is trailing even in ongoing counting of UP, Bihar and Maharashtra seats

The Congress has drawn a blank in the biennial elections for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka, with the results delivering the party its biggest setback in Karnataka, where it is in power. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) alliance swept all four seats in the state, including one held by a sitting Congress MLC, raising alarm bells over the DK Shivakumar-led government's organisational strength and its ability to convert its position at the helm of the Assembly into support among graduates and teachers.

The results, declared or emerging as counting continued on October 28, are not a direct measure of public sentiment across the four states. These elections involve a limited electorate of registered graduates and teachers, and local political equations often play a decisive role. Yet, a zero-seat tally across 28 constituencies is difficult for Congress to dismiss, particularly when its most damaging defeat has come in a state where it holds power, amid the grand old party's carnival campaign against the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission of India.

BJP-JD(S) WIN ALL 4 SEATS IN KARNATAKA: THE BIGGEST HIT FOR CONGRESS

The Karnataka results stand apart from the broader tally because Congress is not an opposition party fighting an entrenched government here. It is the ruling party, with access to the state administration and a political organisation that has been in power since 2023. The BJP-JD(S) sweep therefore puts the spotlight on the Congress government's performance, its local networks and the effectiveness of its campaign among two electorally influential groups.

The outcome is also a setback for Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who has been closely involved in the party's Karnataka organisation and campaigning. The elections were held on October 23, making the result an important test of the ruling party's ability to mobilise support beyond the Assembly electorate. DK Shivakumar or DKS as he is popularly known, had directed ministers to campaign in the constituencies, which highlighted the importance Congress attached to the contest.

The most damaging result for Congress came in the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency, where JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes. Ranganath secured 10,810 votes against Puttanna's 9,902, wresting a seat that Congress had previously held. The loss is significant not only because a sitting member was defeated, but also because the BJP and JD(S) demonstrated that they could coordinate effectively against the ruling party. The NDA victory will also motivate and embolden the coalition partners in the state, which will be set for polls in less than two years.

The BJP retained its advantage in the other three constituencies. Shashil G Namoshi won the North-East Teachers' seat, while SV Sankanur secured the West Graduates' constituency and KM Suresh won the South-East Graduates' seat. Namoshi's victory was particularly notable because the constituency includes Kalaburagi, the home region of Congress's national president Mallikarjun Kharge.

For the Congress, the NDA sweep in the state raises a question about whether its government has been able to translate its electoral mandate and welfare guarantees into support among organised professional groups. The BJP's Karnataka unit leaders have called the outcome a rejection of "corruption, irregularities and unfulfilled promises".

The results of the MLC polls do not threaten the Congress government's immediate survival. Nor can a poll involving a restricted electorate be treated as a referendum on the entire state. But the defeat offers the BJP-JD(S) alliance a morale boost and an opportunity to portray itself as a credible alternative ahead of the next Assembly election, due in 2028. Union Minister and JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy hailed the sweep as a mandate for 2028, projecting the alliance's performance as a sign of its growing strength.

CONGRESS'S ZERO-SEAT TALLY BEYOND KARNATAKA

The results of the MLC polls in three other states — Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — show that Congress's poor performance is part of a wider electoral challenge, although the political circumstances differ from Karnataka. In the three states, the party is not in government, and the contests are shaped by regional parties, alliances and local candidate strength.

In Uttar Pradesh, where 11 seats were contested, the BJP and Samajwadi Party have accounted for the main contest. The BJP retained seats in Meerut, Bareilly – Moradabad and Lucknow, while the Samajwadi Party won the Varanasi Teachers' constituency and the Agra Teachers' seat. Counting was still underway in several constituencies at the time of publishing this article and the results will be updated as announced.

However, the emerging picture points in Uttar Pradesh hint to the BJP having a firm position, with the SP making gains in high-stakes seats.

Bihar's eight-seat contest produced a more fragmented outcome. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won the Patna Teachers' constituency, the BJP took the Tirhut Teachers' seat, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) secured its first Legislative Council victory in Darbhanga, and Independent candidate Rahul Raj won the Saran Teachers' constituency. JSP's victory came at the expense of sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha, adding to the party's difficulties. Counting for the graduates' constituencies was continuing, leaving the final picture incomplete at the time of publication.

Maharashtra's five seats were also awaiting final results, with counting continuing. The contest involves the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. According to the emerging trend, the BJP-led Mahayuti is gaining ground in the ongoing counting.

WHY THE MLC POLLS RESULTS MATTER, AND WHAT THEY MEAN

The 28 seats are not directly comparable to Assembly constituencies. Graduates' and teachers' constituencies have a narrower electorate comprising registered voters from specific professional categories. Voting takes place using ballot papers and preferential voting, making candidate networks, personal outreach and the transfer of preferences particularly important.

That distinction matters when assessing Congress's performance. A party can lose these seats without necessarily losing support among the broader electorate. Equally, a poor result also cannot be dismissed when the party has failed to win a seat across four states.

The Karnataka sweep also demonstrates the value of opposition coordination. The BJP and JD(S) contested the four seats as allies, with the BJP winning three and the JD(S) securing the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency.

The bottom line is that Congress's zero-seat tally is a warning, not a verdict on its national electoral standing. The ongoing counts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra could alter the final state-wise picture, but Karnataka's outcome is already clear. For a party in power, losing all four seats, including one previously held by Congress, is a major setback.

- Ends
(Written by Avinash Kateel)