Counting Under Way For 11 UP Legislative Council Seats Amid Tight Security

Counting of votes for 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats is under way amid tight security across seven districts. The counting is being conducted in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly and Gorakhpur for five teacher and six graduate constituencies.

A total of 152 candidates are in the fray for these elections. The results are being closely watched because the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party are facing each other in several constituencies.

The voting for these seats took place on 23 October. Separate counting centres have been set up, and election officials are supervising the counting of ballot papers. Since the elections use a preferential voting system, the final results for all the seats may take time to emerge.

The administration had completed preparations for counting votes for the five graduate and six teacher seats. Security arrangements have been made at all the centres. CCTV cameras and videography have also been put in place to monitor the proceedings.

More than 14.81 lakh voters were registered for the 11 seats. After voting ended, the ballot boxes were kept in secure strong rooms. Under the prescribed process, the ballot boxes are being opened, ballot papers are being sorted and the votes are being counted.

The counting for the teacher and graduate seats of the Meerut-Saharanpur segment is taking place at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Modipuram, Meerut.

According to media reports, there was a heated exchange between Congress candidate Vikrant Vashishtha and a police officer when the counting began. Information has emerged that the atmosphere at the counting centre remained tense for some time after the incident.

The full reason for the dispute and a detailed response from the administration have not yet been independently confirmed. The counting process and the official results are being monitored.

In the Meerut-Saharanpur segment, voter turnout on 23 October was 57.64% in the teacher constituency and 35.81% in the graduate constituency.

BJP’s sitting MLC Shrichand Sharma and Samajwadi Party candidate Dr. Nitin Tomar are among the prominent candidates contesting the teacher seat. The graduate seat is witnessing a contest between BJP’s Dinesh Goyal and the Samajwadi Party’s Pramendra Bhati. Other candidates are also in the fray for both seats.

A total of 18 candidates are awaiting the outcome in the two Meerut-Saharanpur constituencies. Counting is expected to continue until the final results are declared.

In Agra, the Election Commission has directed the immediate suspension of six officials over alleged irregularities reported during polling in the Agra segment teacher constituency. The action was taken after allegations of negligence in supervision and in the arrangements for conducting the polling were examined.

The commission has also directed departmental action against the polling officials and policemen concerned. Repolling was conducted at three affected polling stations on 26 October.

The allegations relate to the conduct and supervision of the election process. The inquiry and administrative action are under way, and the allegations should not be treated as established facts until the final conclusions are made public.

The observer for the Gorakhpur-Faizabad teacher constituency was changed before counting began. According to media reports, IAS officer Prakash Bindu was given the responsibility in place of IAS officer Abhay Singh. The change was made following a complaint.

Counting in the constituency is being held at the designated centre under the supervision of officials. The administrative arrangements for ensuring fairness and transparency in the election process are also being watched.

A technical issue involving the CCTV monitoring system was also reported in Varanasi before counting began. According to media reports, the technical problem affected surveillance for some time. Information was later given that the cameras were switched on again after repairs.

CCTV cameras and other monitoring systems are being used at the counting centres as part of the security and supervision arrangements. In Varanasi, the reported technical problem has brought attention to the need for these systems to remain operational during the sensitive counting stage. The administration’s response and timely repairs have also become part of the developments being followed during the process.

The results of these 11 Legislative Council seats are being viewed in the context of the organisational position of political parties and their support among teacher and graduate voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly election.

The BJP and the Samajwadi Party have fielded candidates in several constituencies. Teacher organisations and independent candidates are also contesting, adding to the contest in these seats.

However, the voter structure for Legislative Council elections is different from that of Assembly elections. Therefore, the results of these 11 seats should not be treated as a direct indication of public support across Uttar Pradesh.

On 27 October 2026, the candidates and their supporters are waiting for the final results as counting continues at the seven centres. The preferential voting system can make the counting process longer in some constituencies.

The counting process includes the sorting of ballot papers and the calculation of preferences under the prescribed election procedure. Because of this system, the declaration of a final result may take longer than a straightforward vote count.

Media reports have highlighted the dispute during counting in Meerut and the action taken over polling-related irregularities in Agra. The final list of winners for all the seats and the official details of votes will be updated only after the concerned election officials make their announcements.