Vote counting for the 2026 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections began at 8 am on Tuesday, October 27, for five graduate and six teachers’ constituencies. Counting is underway at centres across seven cities under security arrangements. A total of 152 candidates are contesting the 11 seats.
Counting centres have been established in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly and Gorakhpur. Police personnel have been deployed at all centres, and the counting process is being monitored through CCTV cameras. Candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and other political groups are awaiting the results.
The administration has directed officials to ensure that counting is conducted peacefully and transparently. CCTV surveillance and videography arrangements have been made at the centres, and entry into the counting premises is restricted to authorised individuals.
In Lucknow, votes are being counted at the Ramabai Ambedkar Rally Ground. In Gorakhpur, barricades have been installed around the counting centre to prevent unnecessary crowding.
Counting for the graduate and teachers’ constituencies in Varanasi began at Pahariya Mandi. Separate arrangements have been made for the two constituencies, with 15 tables allocated to each. A total of 224 personnel have been assigned to the counting process.
Security arrangements and monitoring mechanisms have been put in place at the centre. The administration has stated that each stage of counting is to be completed in accordance with the prescribed rules.
Counting is also underway in Agra, Meerut, Jhansi and Bareilly for their respective constituencies. The official outcome for each seat will become clear after the results are declared.
Avanish Kumar Singh, the BJP candidate from the Lucknow Graduate Constituency, expressed confidence in his victory after counting began.
He said BJP workers had worked hard during the polling process and that a large number of voters had cast their ballots in favour of the party.
Singh also referred to the blessings of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman while expressing hope of winning. His electoral outcome, however, will depend on the final counting results.
Polling for the 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats took place on October 23. A total of 152 candidates contested the five graduate and six teachers’ constituencies.
The overall voter turnout was recorded at 55.24 per cent. The Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ Constituency registered the highest turnout at 79.01 per cent.
Among the graduate constituencies, approximately 51 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots in Agra, while the Lucknow Graduate Constituency recorded the lowest turnout at 38.02 per cent.
A day before counting, the Election Commission changed the observer assigned to the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ Constituency.
Abhay Singh, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was relieved of the responsibility and placed in reserve. Prakash Bindu, a 2009-batch IAS officer, was appointed as the new observer.
The observer is responsible for monitoring the counting process and ensuring compliance with election-related rules.
The BJP and the Samajwadi Party have fielded candidates across the 11 constituencies. Independent and rebel candidates could also influence contests in some constituencies.
The results are being watched ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. During the election process, reports emerged from some districts of clashes between supporters of political parties and allegations of irregularities in polling.
Counting remains underway. According to the confirmed reports available in the source material, the final list of winners for all 11 seats has not yet been released.
