UP MLC Results: BJP Faces Opposition Attack Over Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya as SP Pushes PDA Narrative

The Uttar Pradesh MLC election results have intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and the opposition ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Union Minister BL Verma has hit back at the Samajwadi Party's claims that victories in Kashi, Mathura and Prayagraj reflect divine blessings, questioning whether Akhilesh Yadav wants to pursue Sanatan politics or Muslim appeasement. Verma maintained that the BJP's six-seat tally remains unchanged and argued that the results do not represent a major setback for the party. Meanwhile, Congress has stepped up its criticism of the BJP. Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput referred to the political slogan linking Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi, claiming that the recent results have sent a message to the ruling party. He also demanded an apology from the BJP over alleged wrongdoing related to Ayodhya. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil went further, claiming that voters had rejected the BJP in several religious centres, including Kashi, Mathura and Prayagraj, while also highlighting the party's defeat in Nagpur, considered a BJP stronghold and home to the RSS headquarters. According to the reported MLC results, the BJP won six seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured four victories, with its candidate holding a decisive lead in the remaining Varanasi Graduate constituency at the time of the update. The BJP won the Lucknow Teacher, Meerut Graduate, Bareilly-Moradabad Teacher, Agra Graduate, Gorakhpur Teacher and Meerut Teacher seats. The SP won the Varanasi Teacher, Allahabad-Jhansi Graduate, Agra Teacher and Lucknow Graduate seats. The results have also fuelled a debate over caste representation. The BJP's six winning candidates reportedly include three Brahmins, one Rajput, one Vaishya and one Sikh, while the SP's five candidates include two Yadavs, one Kayastha, one Vaishya and one Kurmi. The SP is presenting its performance as a boost for its PDA strategy, while the BJP maintains that MLC results cannot directly predict the outcome of the 2027 Assembly elections.