Varanasi MLC Polls: BJP's Kedar Nath Singh Concedes Defeat
BJP's Kedar Nath Singh concedes defeat in the Varanasi Graduate MLC election as SP's Ashutosh Sinha maintains a massive lead.
In a significant turn of events for the Varanasi Graduate MLC election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kedar Nath Singh has officially conceded defeat. As the vote counting entered its third day on October 29, 2026, Singh took to social media to acknowledge the public mandate, thanking his supporters and party workers for their efforts throughout the campaign.
A Decisive Lead for Samajwadi Party
The counting process revealed a stark gap between the two primary contenders. Ashutosh Sinha, representing the Samajwadi Party (SP), maintained a commanding lead from the early stages of the tally. By the time the first preference votes were finalized, the numbers told a clear story:
- Ashutosh Sinha (SP): 50,462 votes
- Kedar Nath Singh (BJP): 33,478 votes
This left Sinha with a substantial lead of 16,984 votes, making his victory almost certain. The momentum had been in Sinha's favor since the earlier rounds, where he held a lead of 11,833 votes after the sixth round and 16,261 votes following the ninth round.
Tension and Turmoil During Counting
The road to the final result was not without conflict. While counting began on October 27, 2026, following the elections held on October 23, the process was marred by volatility. BJP workers staged protests, alleging that votes were being manipulated and claiming that an agent had been assaulted.
These disruptions caused brief halts in the counting process. However, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav stepped in to publicly protest against these attempts to stop the proceedings, insisting that the count continue without interference.
The Bigger Picture: UP MLC Results
The Varanasi seat was the final piece of the puzzle in the election for 11 MLC seats across Uttar Pradesh. With the expected victory of Ashutosh Sinha, the Samajwadi Party successfully retains a seat it previously won in the 2020 Legislative Council elections.
Final Tally of the 11 Seats:
- BJP: 6 seats
- Samajwadi Party: 4 seats (with Varanasi making it the fourth)
While the BJP secured the majority of the contested seats in this cycle, the retention of the Varanasi seat by the Samajwadi Party marks a strategic hold in a high-profile constituency. The formal declaration of the result for Varanasi is the only pending announcement remaining from this election cycle.