MLC Polls Underway for 28 Seats Across UP, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra

The elections cover graduate and teacher constituencies, with a restricted electorate of eligible registered graduates and teachers. The results are being closely watched amid political activity in the four states.

In Uttar Pradesh, voters are casting ballots for 11 Legislative Council seats, comprising five graduate and six teacher constituencies. The elections are being held ahead of the state's 2027 Assembly polls, adding to their political significance.

Polling began at 8 a.m. across 72 districts, excluding Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat and Unnao, and is scheduled to conclude at 4 p.m. Ballot papers are being used, with counting set for October 27.

The five graduate constituencies are Agra, Meerut, Allahabad-Jhansi, Lucknow and Varanasi. The six teacher constituencies are Agra, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad, Lucknow, Kashi and Gorakhpur-Faizabad.

Of the 11 seats, five fall in western Uttar Pradesh, two in the Lucknow region, one in Bundelkhand and three in Purvanchal.

Polling arrangements received positive feedback from at least one voter in Hardoi, who praised the administration's preparations.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav expressed confidence in his party's candidates, particularly in Aligarh. He said he expected both Akash Agarwal, contesting the teachers' constituency, and the party's graduate constituency candidate to win.

**Bihar Sees Contest Across Eight Seats**

In Bihar, polling is underway for eight Legislative Council seats, including four graduate and four teacher constituencies. A total of 150 candidates are contesting, with approximately 5.32 lakh voters eligible to participate.

The contest has drawn attention amid competition between parties from different political alliances. The Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), both members of the Opposition alliance, are also competing against each other in some constituencies.

Patna Graduates' constituency is among the closely watched contests. Senior Janata Dal (United) leader Neeraj Kumar faces a challenge from Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh, who has received support from Mokama MLA Anant Singh.

Neeraj Kumar was reportedly hospitalised following a cardiac episode several days ago. After being discharged, he was scheduled to travel to Mokama to cast his vote on Friday. He was seen leaving his residence, expressing confidence with a victory sign.

Results from these specialised constituencies may indicate support among registered graduates and teachers, although this electorate does not represent Bihar's wider population.

**Maharashtra Votes for Five Seats**

In Maharashtra, polling is taking place for five Legislative Council seats, comprising three graduate and two teacher constituencies. A total of 182 candidates are in the fray.

The graduate constituencies are Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur, while the teachers' constituencies are Pune and Amravati.

Political parties are monitoring the elections across the four states as they seek representation in their respective Legislative Councils. Counting for the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar elections is scheduled for October 27.