MLC counting was held on 27 October for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The seats covered graduates and teachers constituencies, where voters are registered graduates and teachers rather than the general electorate. Polling for the seats had taken place earlier, and MLC counting centres in the four states opened on Tuesday morning under security arrangements put in place by election officials. MLC counting drew close attention in each state because the results affect the composition of the upper house in state legislatures.
The 28 seats were spread across the four states in different numbers. Uttar Pradesh accounted for 11 seats, Bihar for eight seats, Maharashtra for five seats and Karnataka for four seats. In each state, the seats were a mix of graduates constituencies and teachers constituencies. The mix matters because graduates and teachers vote in separate constituencies, and candidates often come from teaching, academic and professional backgrounds. Parties field candidates in these seats even though the electorate is smaller than in assembly seats, because the upper house plays a role in legislation and in debates on education and public policy.
MLC counting in Bihar and the Tirhut result
In Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Tirhut Teachers seat in MLC counting. The Tirhut Teachers constituency is one of the teachers seats in Bihar, and its result was among the early results to be confirmed on 27 October. Teachers constituencies in Bihar cover teachers working in schools and colleges in the area, and candidates in these seats often campaign on issues linked to education, service conditions and the working of educational institutions. The win in Tirhut gave the Bharatiya Janata Party a confirmed seat from the Bihar set of eight seats.
After MLC counting, leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal met the state Chief Electoral Officer over counting concerns. The meeting was part of the process by which parties raise objections or seek clarity on counting arrangements with election officials. Parties in close contests often ask for checks on counting tables, ballot bundles or the handling of papers, and the Chief Electoral Officer is the senior election official in the state who hears such representations. The Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders put their concerns before the Chief Electoral Officer after counting had taken place, and election officials were expected to deal with the points raised under the rules for counting.
MLC counting trends in Karnataka and Maharashtra
In Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) alliance was ahead on two seats in early MLC counting. Early trends in Karnataka reflected the first rounds of counting, when partial totals show which candidates are leading before all ballot papers are counted. An early lead can change as more rounds are counted, and final results are declared only after the full count is complete. The alliance lead on two seats in early counting was therefore a trend at that stage of the day, rather than a final set of results for all four Karnataka seats.
In Maharashtra, results were declared for five graduate and teacher seats. Maharashtra had five seats in this round, and the declaration of results for the full set meant counting for the state was complete for these seats. Graduate and teacher seats in Maharashtra cover large divisions, and candidates campaign across districts within each constituency. The declaration of results closed the counting process for Maharashtra in this round, subject to the normal formalities that follow a declaration.
MLC counting and what the results change
The 28 seats counted on 27 October were spread across four states, and each state result will be read in its own political setting. In Uttar Pradesh, the largest set with 11 seats, counting covered a wide area and a large number of graduates and teachers voters. In Bihar, the Tirhut Teachers win and the representations made to the Chief Electoral Officer formed part of the day. In Karnataka, early trends pointed to an alliance lead on two seats. In Maharashtra, the declaration of results for five seats brought that state count to a close.
Election officials in the four states were expected to complete formalities after counting, including the formal declaration of results for seats where counting had finished and the handling of any representations made by parties. For seats where results were declared, winning candidates move to the next stage of taking their place in the Legislative Council. For seats where counting was still under way at the time of early reports, final results would follow after verification. MLC counting on 27 October thus closed one stage of the election process for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka.