Legislative Council Polls Begin Across Bihar, UP, Maharashtra and Karnataka
Voting is underway for 28 Legislative Council seats across four Indian states for Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies.
Voting commenced at 8 am on Friday for the biennial elections to the Legislative Councils in four major Indian states: Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. These elections are specifically being held for the Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies to fill 28 seats following the completion of the terms of the sitting members.
The Scale of the Elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has organized these polls to address vacancies arising from expiring tenures. The distribution of the 28 seats across the four states is as follows:
- Uttar Pradesh: 11 seats
- Bihar: 8 seats
- Maharashtra: 5 seats
- Karnataka: 4 seats
State-wise Breakdown of Constituencies
Uttar Pradesh: The Largest Share
With 11 seats up for grabs, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of vacancies. Polling is taking place in five Graduates' constituencies—Lucknow Division, Varanasi Division, Agra Division, Meerut Division, and Allahabad-Jhansi Division. Additionally, six Teachers' constituencies are voting, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad, and Gorakhpur-Faizabad Divisions. The terms for these members expire on December 6.
Bihar: Eight Key Seats
In Bihar, the election is split evenly between two categories. Four Graduates' constituencies (Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Kosi) and four Teachers' constituencies (Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Saran) are heading to the polls. The current members' tenures in these areas end on November 16.
Maharashtra: Five Vacancies
Maharashtra is voting for three Graduates' constituencies—Aurangabad Division, Pune Division, and Nagpur Division—and two Teachers' constituencies, which are the Amravati and Pune Divisions. Interestingly, the tenures for these members are set to expire on December 6, 2026.
Karnataka: Four Seats
Karnataka's elections cover two Graduates' constituencies (Karnataka South-East and Karnataka West) and two Teachers' constituencies (Karnataka North-East and Bangalore). The sitting members' terms in these seats expire on November 11.
Timeline and Next Steps
Polling across all four states is scheduled to continue until 4 pm on Friday. Once the voting process concludes, the focus will shift to the results:
- Counting of Votes: Scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.
- Completion of Process: The entire election cycle is expected to be wrapped up by October 31.