The Samajwadi Party (SP) on 29 October 2026 claimed five of the 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (MLC) seats contested in the latest round of polls, with the party describing its performance — particularly its sweep of Varanasi — as a preview of what could unfold in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the remaining six seats, holding its pre-election tally, while the SP added two seats to its previous strength.

The Varanasi Result and Its Significance

The most closely watched outcome of this round came from Varanasi, where the SP won both the Teachers' and Graduates' constituencies. The result has drawn particular attention given that Varanasi is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — making the SP's double win there a symbolically loaded outcome with national political resonance.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya acknowledged the setback, saying the SP had managed to win 'where such an outcome was not anticipated' and adding that the BJP would examine the reasons behind the result.

SP Spokesperson's Remarks

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand argued that the results demonstrated the BJP faced difficulties whenever elections were held through ballot papers. He also alleged that the ruling party had attempted to interfere with the process at certain locations.

'In Uttar Pradesh, when elections were held through ballot papers, the BJP lost. The BJP also slowed down the voting process in ballot paper elections and, in some places, its workers misused the administration to influence certain seats through their arbitrary actions. They tried to stop the Varanasi results; however, they were not able to stop the public from expressing their stand,' Chand said.

He further said the BJP should 'explain its defeat in Varanasi rather than seeking political satisfaction from the Congress' setbacks elsewhere,' adding: 'This is just a reflection of what will happen in the 2027 Assembly elections.'

Akhilesh Yadav's Post on X

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the results in a post on social media platform X, invoking the party's PDA political grouping. 'They are secretly happy about the PDA's victory too — no one becomes a stranger just by leaving home,' Yadav wrote.

He alleged that the BJP had 'pulled a double-cross in Gorakhpur,' adding: 'If the scheming BJP folks hadn't pulled that double-cross in Gorakhpur, the same fate as in Varanasi would have befallen them there too.' Yadav also warned officials he alleged had sided with the BJP: 'All those corrupt officials who served the BJP will be hauled before the people's court once the PDA government takes power.'

What This Means Ahead of 2027

Legislative Council elections — contested by Teachers' and Graduates' constituency voters, not the general public — are not a direct measure of mass voter opinion. Nonetheless, both major parties have treated this round as a political temperature check. The SP's improved tally and its Varanasi wins hand Akhilesh Yadav a credible narrative heading into the Assembly campaign. This comes amid broader opposition efforts to consolidate the PDA alliance ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2027 UP Assembly election. The BJP, which governs Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will now face questions about its ground-level standing in constituencies it had considered safe.