Uttar Pradesh MLC polls: Why it could put Samajwadi Party’s numbers to test

Ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections, political parties face two critical tests: Rajya Sabha polls and MLC elections. The elections to the 11 Legislative Council seats from Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies will take place on October 23.

This will test the ruling NDA’s arithmetic, as well as the Opposition’s cohesion. The MLC polls carry a particularly significant institutional stake for the Samajwadi Party. The elections to the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies are not contested on party symbols, but the elected candidates are counted on the basis of the respective parties’ strength in the Legislative Council.

The 100-member Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council currently has 10 SP members, putting the party at the 10 per cent threshold required for the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) post in the Upper House of the state legislature.

Of the SP’s 10 MLCs, seven were elected by MLAs, while three — Man Singh Yadav from Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates, Ashutosh Sinha from Varanasi Graduates, and Lal Bihari Yadav from Varanasi Teachers — were elected from constituencies going to polls this year.

All three have been renominated. The SP has also fielded Kamlesh Yadav from Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers, and former MLC Kanti Singh from Lucknow Graduates. The BJP-led alliance, meanwhile, has 83 members in the Council — 79 of BJP, and one each from Apna Dal (S), RLD, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, and Nishad Party — giving it a clear majority.

The immediate institutional stakes are consequently higher for the SP. For the BJP-led alliance, the elections offer an opportunity to consolidate its dominance in the Council and test its organisational strength among teachers and graduates.

The 2020 elections to these 11 seats saw the BJP win six, SP three and Independents two, providing a benchmark for the current contest. The MLC polls could also test the equations within the Opposition INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress, which currently has no member in the Legislative Council, has signalled its intention to contest and appointed coordinators for five constituencies. Taken together, the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections will offer parties an early test of their numbers, organisational machinery, internal cohesion and alliance equations ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.

The MLC elections are being held in five Graduates’ constituencies — Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut and Allahabad-Jhansi — and six Teachers’ constituencies — Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad and Gorakhpur-Faizabad.

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh.

Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India.

She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling.

By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More