UP Council Polls: High Turnout in Some Seats Amid BJP-SP Clash
Voting is underway for 11 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Check turnout figures, clashes, and controversies.
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Elections are currently in full swing, with voters heading to the polls on Friday, October 23, 2026, to decide the representatives for 11 key seats. The contest, which consists of five graduate and six teacher constituencies, has seen varying levels of participation as the state's academic and professional community exercises its franchise.
Voter Turnout Trends
Polling commenced at 8:00 AM across 72 districts, utilizing a network of 2,697 polling stations. While the early hours saw a slow start—with turnout at 8% for graduate and 9% for teacher constituencies by 10:00 AM—the numbers surged as the day progressed.
By 2:00 PM, a significant disparity in turnout was observed across different regions:
- Gorakhpur-Faizabad (Teacher Constituency): Recorded a robust turnout of 56.32%.
- Allahabad-Jhansi (Graduate Constituency): Reported a much lower polling percentage of 19.86%.
With approximately 14.81 million eligible voters and 152 candidates in the fray, the polling is scheduled to wrap up at 4:00 PM. The final results will be determined when votes are counted on October 27, 2026.
A High-Stakes Political Battle
The election has evolved into a direct face-off between the two political giants of the state: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Both parties have displayed their ambition by fielding candidates in all 11 constituencies.
However, the atmosphere has been far from peaceful. Reports of scattered clashes between BJP and SP workers have emerged from several districts, including Fatehpur, Fatehabad, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur.
SP President Akhilesh Yadav has leveled serious allegations against the ruling party, claiming that the BJP has violated the model code of conduct and used its influence to pressure officials within administrative and educational institutions.
Controversies and Electoral Integrity
The integrity of the voter lists has become a major point of contention. The BJP has raised alarms over the presence of 4,397 duplicate entries in the rolls. Adding to the chaos, the Election Commission had to launch an investigation after social media posts revealed derogatory and erroneous names on the electoral rolls, such as 'Mohammad Pagal Rehan' and 'Ram ne Yadav ko maara'.
Administrative Measures
To ensure a smooth process, Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa clarified that voters would not be turned away due to minor printing or clerical errors in the voter list, as long as they provide valid identification for verification.
Furthermore, in a move to maintain transparency and following assurances to the Allahabad High Court, the Election Commission has implemented continuous videography inside all polling stations within the Lucknow Division graduate constituency.