Uttar Pradesh MLC Election Ends Amid SP Claims of BJP‑Backed Fake Voting

What Happened

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council election for 11 seats ended on Friday, Oct 23, 2026, as the Election Commission reported a 55.24% turnout by 4 p.m. across five graduate and six teacher constituencies covering more than 30 districts and over 14 lakh registered voters. The Samajwadi Party lodged complaints of fake voting and booth‑capturing, citing incidents in Auraiya, Saharanpur, Fatehpur and other districts. In Auraiya, SP workers were allegedly beaten at booth 223 of the Sadar Assembly constituency while protesting a capture attempt by BJP MLA Gudiya Katheria. At booth 34 in Maharaj Singh Degree College, Saharanpur City, the party claimed BJP‑linked individuals cast illegal votes. SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who voted in Saifai’s Agra Graduate constituency, accused BJP of deploying goons and corrupt officials to manipulate the limited‑electorate graduate and teacher polls. The party asked the Election Commission to investigate immediately and to take strict action against any culprits.

Reaction

BJP leaders dismissed the allegations as defeatist rhetoric. Lucknow‑based BJP figure Dinesh Dubey said voters were satisfied with the party’s development work and that SP’s claims were “ridiculous.” Senior SP members Sudhir Panwar and Dr. Man Singh, an MLC from Prayagraj, echoed Yadav’s concerns, alleging roll tampering and use of officials at polling centres. Abhishek Nagar reportedly confronted senior BJP leader Virendra Singh in Shamli over alleged unfair influence. The Election Commission has not yet released a final verdict on the complaints.

Context

Graduate and teacher constituencies have a restricted voter base of teachers and graduates, making them vulnerable to targeted manipulation. Allegations of booth‑capturing often surface in Indian elections, prompting the Election Commission to monitor polling stations closely.