With the BJP headed for a big victory, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday congratulated the winners of the biennial elections for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. He tweeted, “BJP’s thumping victory in the MLC polls has again made it clear that the people of the state are with nationalism, development and good governance under the able guidance and leadership of the respected Prime Minister.”
The counting is underway for 27 seats of the Legislative Council. The BJP has secured a victory in over half-dozen seats and is leading in others, news agency PTI has reported.
BJP secures win in Lucknow-Unnao, Ballia, Barabanki and others
BJP’s Ramchandra Pradhan has won the Lucknow-Unnao seat.
According to PTI, results coming in from various districts show that the party has also won in Ballia, Barabanki, Sitapur, Basti, and other seats.
In Ballia, Ravishankar Singh Pappu, grandson of former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar, defeated SP’s Arvind Giri by 1,981 votes. BJP’s Angad Singh also won over Rajesh Kumar Yadav of the SP by 1,745 votes in Barabanki.
In Sitapur, Pawan Kumar Singh trumped Arunesh Yadav of SP by 3,692 votes, and in Basti, another BJP leader Subhas Yaduvansh defeated SP’s Santosh Yadav by 4,294 votes. BJP’s Hari Om Pandey defeated Heeralal Yadav of the SP by 1,680 votes on the Faizabad-Ambedkarnagar seat in Ayodhya.
BJP loses Varanasi
The BJP candidate Dr Sudama Patel has lost the Varanasi seat. An independent candidate, Annapurna Singh, wife of jailed gangster Brijesh Kumar Singh, won the seat.
Singh sealed victory with 4,234 votes, while Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Umesh Yadav got 345 votes and BJP finished third with 170 votes.
During the counting Tuesday, a total of 4,749 votes were found valid. Singh had taken the lead from the first round of the counting of votes.
BJP eyes majority
The BJP had already won nine of the 36 vacant seats unopposed. Following a resounding victory in the UP Assembly elections, the BJP had set its eye on becoming the single-largest party in the state Legislative Council as well by winning a majority of the Upper House seats.
