Poll Counting Under Scrutiny as UP MLC Results Await
Final results of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council graduate and teacher constituency polls are yet to be declared as counting continues amid complaints of irregularities. Contests for 11 seats, five graduate and six teacher constituencies, are being tallied across seven districts, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly and Gorakhpur, where paper ballots have slowed the process.
The Gorakhpur-Faizabad teacher constituency has seen one of the sharpest objections. Independent candidate Ajay Singh Advocate has pointed to a mismatch at a booth in Mau municipal area, where he says 623 voters cast votes but 673 ballot papers emerged from the box during counting. A written objection has been lodged.
Singh has further demanded that Ajay Saini, Additional Commissioner of the Ayodhya division, be taken off counting duty. In his complaint to the Election Commission, he questioned the officer's neutrality, claiming Saini had been posted in the same constituency during the previous election and was supporting BJP candidate Dhruv Tripathi. These allegations have not been independently verified.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has also raised doubts about the Lucknow graduate constituency count. He said he had been informed that unfolded ballot papers were found at booth number 97, which is associated with SP candidate Kanti Singh. Sharply worded, he said, "Even stealing is something the BJP cannot do honestly." He alleged collusion between the BJP, the Election Commission and the administration, arguing that the electoral process had been compromised.
On X, Akhilesh described the BJP as an 'election gang' and highlighted the alleged irregularities, adding to the political debate.
The Agra teacher constituency has witnessed a standoff over the counting process. SP candidate Dr. Akash Agarwal stated that he was leading, yet the first-round result was withheld. He said counting had been paused for nearly half an hour and urged the returning officer and election observer to guarantee a fair count. Earlier, he had claimed that the administration's conduct was worse than in West Bengal.
Akhilesh Yadav also posted on X that counting had been stopped in Agra despite the SP candidate being ahead, and asked the Election Commission to take cognisance and ensure fair counting.
In Varanasi, SP candidate and outgoing MLC Lal Bihari Yadav led in the first round of counting. Among nearly 14,000 ballots, around 200 doubtful papers were identified because they carried tick marks, dots or other symbols. These were set aside and subsequently re-examined at the returning officer's table in the presence of candidates, with validity determined under the rules.
In the Gorakhpur-Faizabad constituency, early trends placed independent Rajeev Yadav ahead, while BJP's Dhruv Tripathi and SP's Dr. Sanjayan Tripathi were behind. Ajay Singh is also in the fray. An interaction between Dr. Sanjayan Tripathi and Rajeev Yadav was observed at the counting centre. However, early trends are not the final outcome.
In Meerut, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, supporters of BJP candidate Shrichand Sharma gathered in large numbers. After early lead reports, some workers arrived outside the counting venue with flower garlands and chanted slogans. MLC Dharmendra Bhardwaj was present. BJP supporters expressed confidence, but the official declaration will follow only after counting is complete.
In the Bareilly-Moradabad teacher constituency, counting started at 2 pm after the preparation of ballot bundles. Votes are being counted at eight tables along with one returning officer's table.
Because the polls were conducted through paper ballots, counting is taking longer. While some candidates have taken early leads, complaints about ballot validity, delays and alleged irregularities continue. The final results will be declared after counting concludes and the prescribed formal procedures are completed.