SIR: MLC Poll Results Upset Congress’s Game Ahead Of Rally, BJP-JD(U) Say ‘This Was On Ballot Paper’

As counting in the Legislative Council elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka continues, the BJP has found an opportunity to counter the Congress’s allegations of ‘vote theft’. Of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across the four states, the BJP fielded candidates in 21 and had won or was leading in 14, according to the figures available. The Congress, which contested 12 seats, failed to win any. Its biggest setback came in Karnataka, where it lost all four seats it contested, including one it previously held.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP), a constituent of the INDIA bloc, managed to secure victories in Uttar Pradesh, offering a contrasting result for the opposition alliance.

The results have given the BJP fresh ammunition to question the Congress’s allegations of electoral irregularities, particularly as some of the contests were conducted using ballot papers. The outcome also raises a political question for the Congress: will it continue to press its ‘vote theft’ charge despite its losses in these elections and the SP’s gains in Uttar Pradesh?

Samajwadi Party Springs A Surprise In UP

The Samajwadi Party (SP), an INDIA bloc constituent, has made gains in Uttar Pradesh. Of the 11 teacher and graduate constituency seats in the state Legislative Council, results for six seats have been officially declared. The BJP won four, while the SP secured two. Counting was still underway for the remaining five seats, with the SP leading in three and the BJP in two.

In Bihar, Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha by 324 votes in the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency.

BJP, Congress’ Performance Across States

• Uttar Pradesh: Won 6 of the 11 seats

• Karnataka: Won all 3 seats it contested

• Maharashtra: Won 2 of the 3 seats it contested

• Bihar: Won 3 of the 4 seats it contested

Congress Contested 12 Seats Across 28 Legislative Council Elections

• Uttar Pradesh: Did not contest any of the 11 seats

• Karnataka: Contested 4 seats and lost all

• Maharashtra: Contested 3 seats and lost all

• Bihar: Contested 5 seats and lost all

BJP Targets Congress Over Ballot-Paper Results

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting, questioned those who, he said, did not want to consider whether elections should be held using ballot papers or another method.

“Look at what happened in Karnataka. Ballot papers were used there, and the BJP won all four seats,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying his claims about ‘vote theft’ had been undermined by the results.

“Rahul Gandhi, who creates a storm over allegations of lies, has seen his aspirations shattered today,” Trivedi said. He urged the Congress to stop what he called its habit of avoiding work, adding that the slogan of ‘vote theft’ would then fade away on its own.

He further said the Congress had failed to demonstrate its political presence even in elections conducted using ballot papers.

JD(U) Takes A Dig At Rahul Gandhi

JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha also criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress’s difficulties appeared to be growing in proportion to the “arrogance” of its leader. He said Gandhi appeared disconnected from reality despite repeated electoral defeats.

Jha noted that Gandhi was campaigning vigorously for the November 1 ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally, but argued that the Legislative Council results sent a different message.

In a post on X, Jha said the Congress had contested 28 seats and failed to win any, including losing seats held by its sitting members in Bihar and Karnataka.

He acknowledged that MLC elections were not the sole measure of a party’s political standing, but said a complete defeat in 28 seats, including elections conducted by ballot paper—a method the Congress has advocated—highlighted organisational weaknesses and raised questions about its regional influence.

“‘Chalo Delhi’? The electoral message is different: Leave Bengaluru, leave Patna, leave Lucknow, leave Mumbai!” Jha wrote.

INDIA Bloc Plans ‘Public Impeachment’ Event

The Congress said it had been denied permission to hold the proposed event at a hotel. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh announced on X that the INDIA bloc would organise the ‘public impeachment’ event against Gyanesh Kumar at 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi at 3:30 pm on Friday, October 30, 2026, after failing to secure permission at other venues.

Ramesh accused the CEC of openly violating the spirit and provisions of the Constitution and undermining the foundations of electoral democracy in a systematic manner. He also alleged that Kumar had lied to the Supreme Court and acted at the behest of two individuals.

The Congress’s November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan has also drawn opposition from traders’ organisations, which fear it could affect shopping during the festive season. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), a Delhi-based traders’ body, has sought a 20-minute meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Karnataka SIR: Nearly 99.32 Lakh Names Removed

Figures from the SIR exercise in Karnataka have also emerged. The final electoral roll reportedly saw nearly 99.32 lakh names removed from the list.

Before the exercise, Karnataka had 5,54,32,314 registered voters. Following the publication of the final roll, the total number of electors stood at 4,55,00,011.

The Congress had alleged that election officials linked to the BJP submitted a large number of Form 7 applications in several districts to remove Muslim voters’ names. Election officials rejected the allegation.

Delhi SIR: 47.5 Lakh Names Excluded From Draft Roll

In Delhi, around 47.5 lakh names were excluded from the draft electoral roll under the SIR exercise.

At the start of the process, the capital had around 1.45 crore registered voters, of whom 97.53 lakh were included in the draft roll. The remaining 47.5 lakh names were categorised as ‘Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate’ (ASDD).

After the draft roll was published on August 31, the Election Commission received 2.67 lakh Form 6 applications by October 26.

Of the 33.14 lakh notices issued to voters under the SIR exercise, more than 31.26 lakh had been disposed of. According to the figures cited in the report, 94.34% of the voters concerned are expected to have their names included in the final electoral roll scheduled for publication on December 4.

The Chief Electoral Officer’s office said notices had been issued to 33.1 lakh of the 97.5 lakh voters included in the draft roll. Of these, 13.8 lakh voters had not been mapped to the 2002 SIR, while 19.3 lakh received notices over logical discrepancies identified by the system.

The notices have drawn criticism, particularly because several prominent figures were among those who received them, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and senior BJP leader LK Advani.