Teachers and graduates have spoken: Why BJP, Congress and allies are holding breath over 28 crucial seats

New Delhi: Counting of votes for 28 legislative council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka began on Tuesday (October 27). The results will test the support base of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and their allies among graduates and teachers.

Polling for the seats was held on October 23. The elections were held in graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies across the four states. Major political parties and regional outfits are contesting the elections to strengthen their representation in the states’ Upper Houses.

The results will show how the parties have performed among these voter groups and whether alliances have managed to hold their support bases together. Rebel candidates and allegations over counting procedures have featured in several constituencies.

Maharashtra: Mahayuti and MVA face test

Counting began for five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, where 182 candidates are in the fray. The constituencies include Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ seats, along with the Pune and Amravati teachers’ seats. The five constituencies have a combined electorate of 10,68,072 voters.

Polling recorded an overall turnout of 72.96 per cent across 2,419 polling stations. Amravati Teachers’ constituency recorded the highest turnout at 92.6 per cent, followed by Pune at 85.86 per cent. Turnout stood at 64.84 per cent in Nagpur, 62.76 per cent in Pune and 59.12 per cent in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituencies.

In Nagpur, BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale is challenging sitting Congress MLC Abhijit Wanjari. The BJP is seeking to regain a seat it held for nearly six decades before Wanjari won it in 2020.

With around 3.88 lakh registered voters and 47 candidates, Pune Graduates’ constituency has the largest electorate. BJP nominee Smita Jadhav is contesting against NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav, while Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sunil Modi is also in the race.

The Pune teachers’ contest has exposed differences within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawde is facing sitting Congress MLC Jayant Asgaonkar, while the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is backing independent candidate Sachin Sanap. Former MLC Dattatray Sawant of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha is also contesting.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituency, sitting MLC Satish Chavan, who represents the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar, is facing NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) nominee Pratapsinh Patil. Shiv Sena (UBT) has also fielded a candidate. The constituency has around 3.26 lakh registered voters and 41 candidates.

The Amravati teachers’ constituency is also witnessing divisions within the ruling alliance. Sitting MLC Kiran Sarnaik, the official candidate of Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is facing Congress nominee Aditi Pohare. BJP rebels Sangeeta Shinde, Shekhar Bhoyar and Sumit Pawar are also in the fray, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Dattatraya Lahane.

Karnataka: BJP-JD(S) alliance faces Congress

Counting is underway for four Karnataka Legislative Council seats. A total of 43 candidates are contesting across the South-East and West graduates’ constituencies and the North-East and Bengaluru teachers’ constituencies.

The BJP presently holds three of the four seats, while the Congress holds the Bengaluru teachers’ seat. The BJP has fielded candidates in the two graduates’ constituencies and the North-East teachers’ constituency. Its ally JD(S) is contesting the Bengaluru teachers’ seat.

In South-East graduates’ constituency, Congress candidate Shashi Hulikunte Mutt is facing BJP nominee K M Suresh. In West, sitting BJP MLC S V Sankanur is seeking a third term against Congress candidate Mohan Limbikai, an advocate and former MLC who previously belonged to the BJP.

Congress candidate Sharanappa Mattur is challenging sitting BJP MLC Shashil G Namoshi in North-East teachers’ constituency. In Bengaluru, Congress MLC Puttanna is contesting against JD(S) candidate A P Ranganath.

The Bengaluru contest has added interest because Puttanna switched from the JD(S) to Congress ahead of the previous assembly elections. Both candidates belong to the Vokkaliga community. Clashes between Congress and NDA workers were also reported during the polling.

Turnout stood at 73.58 per cent in the South-East and 75.62 per cent in West graduates’ constituencies and 86.97 per cent in North-East and 81.98 per cent in Bengaluru teachers’ constituencies.

The Congress is seeking to defend its Bengaluru seat and make gains in the other constituencies. The BJP-JD(S) alliance is aiming to retain the three seats held by the BJP and win the Bengaluru seat from the Congress.

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar contests

In Uttar Pradesh, polling was held for five graduates’ constituencies in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut and Allahabad-Jhansi, along with six teachers’ constituencies in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad and Gorakhpur-Faizabad.

BJP Lucknow graduates’ constituency candidate Awanish Kumar Singh expressed confidence in his party’s performance. "The way all the Bharatiya Janata Party workers have facilitated the voting process today, with such a massive turnout, is remarkable. A huge number of ballots are set to be cast in favour of the BJP. With the grace of Lord Ram and the blessings of Hanuman ji, we will secure victory," he told ANI.

Samajwadi Party teachers’ constituency candidate Sushil Kumar urged officials to ensure that counting was conducted fairly and without outside influence.

"I urge the administration to uphold the integrity and impartiality of the election process. It must be ensured that no external pressure, whether from the government or any other entity, is allowed to influence the proceedings. This is their constitutional duty," he said.

Bihar went to the polls for eight seats: graduates’ constituencies in Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Kosi and teachers’ constituencies in Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Saran. Counting for the Patna graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies is taking place at Bankipur Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School.

Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh alleged that the counting centre lacked CCTV cameras and that the area designated for counting agents was in poor condition.

"The voters have made their decision. Jan Suraaj is set to win the Patna Graduates’ constituency seat by a significant margin. In the area where the counting takes place, there are no CCTV cameras installed. This is not right; we are feeling a bit apprehensive. There absolutely must be CCTV cameras there. We have raised this with the returning officer," he said.

He also alleged that the area where counting agents were seated was unhygienic and had a foul smell.

The Election Commission announced the Karnataka biennial polls on September 23, while Maharashtra issued its formal notification on September 29. The Maharashtra election process is scheduled to conclude by October 31, with the terms of the sitting members ending on December 6. The Karnataka polls were called ahead of the scheduled completion of the sitting members’ terms on November 11.