Bihar MLC polls 2026: Teachers' turnout at 74.55%, graduates at 43.87%
Synopsis
Bihar's MLC polls for 8 seats are done — and the turnout gap between teachers (74.55%) and graduates (43.87%) tells its own story. With Tejashwi Yadav crying foul and a BJP five-time incumbent predicting a bigger margin than ever, the counting on 27 October will reveal whether Bihar's educated electorate swung with the incumbents or turned.
Key Takeaways
Polling for 8 Bihar MLC seats concluded at 4 pm on 23 October with 150 candidates in contention.
Teachers' constituencies recorded 74.55% turnout; graduate constituencies recorded 43.87% .
Saran led all constituencies with 87.16% turnout; Patna Graduate recorded the lowest at 36.19% .
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged vote theft, fake voters, and use of government machinery — claims that were not independently verified.
BJP incumbent Naval Kishore Yadav has won the Patna Teachers' Constituency seat five consecutive times over 30 years .
Vote counting is scheduled for 27 October .
Polling for eight Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) seats concluded at 4 pm on Friday, 23 October, with teachers' constituencies recording a significantly higher voter turnout than graduate constituencies, according to Election Commission data. Overall, turnout in the four teachers' constituencies stood at 74.55%, while the four graduate constituencies recorded 43.87% as of close of polling. A total of 150 candidates contested the eight seats, with vote counting scheduled for 27 October.
Constituency-wise Turnout Breakdown
Among the graduate constituencies, Kosi led with the highest turnout at 52.51%, followed by Tirhut at 42.15%, Darbhanga at 42%, and Patna at the lowest, recording just 36.19%.
In the teachers' constituencies, Saran registered the highest turnout at 87.16%, trailed by Darbhanga at 79%, Tirhut at 78.10%, and Patna at 56.89%. The gap between teachers' and graduate turnout figures was consistent across corresponding constituencies, underscoring a structural pattern in Bihar's MLC elections where the more specialised electorate of teachers tends to participate at a far higher rate.
Tejashwi Yadav Alleges Irregularities
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence that his party would sweep all eight seats, claiming candidates were receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from voters. However, he also levelled allegations of electoral irregularities — including vote theft, the presence of fake voters, and fraudulent voting — and accused the administration of deploying money and government machinery to influence the outcome. These allegations were not independently verified.
BJP Candidate Claims Five-Time Record
Incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC and candidate Naval Kishore Yadav, contesting the Patna Teachers' Constituency seat, struck a confident note after casting his vote at DAV School in Rajvanshi Nagar, Patna. He stated that teachers in Patna had backed him consistently and highlighted that he had won the seat five consecutive times over 30 years. Yadav predicted a margin larger than in his previous wins and claimed opponents were making unfounded allegations precisely because of his strong support base among the teaching community.
What Happens Next
With polling concluded, attention now turns to 27 October, when counting of votes will determine the electoral fortunes of all 150 candidates across the eight constituencies. The results will serve as a significant indicator of party strength in Bihar ahead of future assembly cycles, given that MLC elections in teachers' and graduate constituencies are often seen as a barometer of educated opinion in the state.
Point of View
And it matters politically: a motivated, organised electorate of educators is far easier to mobilise than a diffuse graduate voter base spread across sprawling constituencies. Tejashwi Yadav's allegation of electoral irregularities follows a familiar opposition playbook — but without independent verification, it risks being dismissed as pre-result positioning. The more telling data point will be the actual margin on 27 October: if a five-time incumbent like Naval Kishore Yadav widens his win, it will confirm that incumbent-teacher loyalty networks in Bihar remain the dominant force in these niche polls, regardless of which way the political wind is blowing at the state level.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the results of the Bihar MLC election turnout on 23 October?
Polling for eight Bihar Legislative Council seats concluded on 23 October, with teachers' constituencies recording 74.55% turnout and graduate constituencies recording 43.87%, according to Election Commission data. Saran topped all eight seats at 87.16%, while Patna Graduate was lowest at 36.19%.
When will Bihar MLC election votes be counted?
Vote counting is scheduled for 27 October. Results will determine the electoral fate of all 150 candidates contesting the eight seats.
What allegations did Tejashwi Yadav make about the Bihar MLC polls?
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged vote theft, fake voters, fraudulent voting, and the use of money and government machinery to influence the election. These allegations were not independently verified.
Who is Naval Kishore Yadav and why is he significant in this election?
Naval Kishore Yadav is an incumbent BJP MLC contesting the Patna Teachers' Constituency seat. He has won the seat five consecutive times over 30 years and has predicted a victory margin larger than in his previous elections.
Why is turnout in teachers' constituencies higher than in graduate constituencies in Bihar?
Teachers' constituency electorates are smaller, more organised, and professionally networked, making mobilisation more effective than in the larger, more dispersed graduate voter pools. This pattern has been a consistent feature of Bihar's MLC elections.
