Bengaluru/Patna/Lucknow: Voting for Legislative Council elections in Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh was held on Friday, with contests involving the ruling parties and opposition alliances, amid isolated clashes, allegations of electoral malpractice and political tensions.
In Karnataka, polling was held for four Legislative Council seats, with a direct contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD\(S) alliance. The South-East Graduates' constituency recorded a turnout of 73.58 per cent, West Graduates' 75.62 per cent, North-East Teachers' 86.97 per cent and Bengaluru Teachers' 81.98 per cent, according to the Chief Electoral Officer's office.
A total of 43 candidates contested the four seats. The BJP fielded candidates in three constituencies, while its ally JD(S) contested the Bengaluru Teachers' seat. The BJP currently holds three of the four seats and is seeking to retain them, while the Congress aims to defend its lone seat and make gains.
The polling witnessed some incidents, including an alleged clash between Congress and BJP workers near Ambedkar College in Bengaluru's Nagarabhavi. Police intervened to bring the situation under control. Allegations of money distribution were also reported at some polling booths in Chikkaballapura and Molakalmuru in Chitradurga.
In Bihar, polling for eight Legislative Council seats concluded largely peacefully, recording a provisional turnout of 43.87 per cent in four graduates' constituencies and 74.55 per cent in four teachers' constituencies. A total of 150 candidates were in the fray.
The Patna Graduates' constituency witnessed a high-profile contest amid a rift within the JD(U), with Mokama MLA Anant Singh backing Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh against his own party's nominee, Neeraj Kumar. Supporters of the candidates clashed in Mokama, prompting police to detain several people. Chhotu Singh, an aide of Anant Singh, was also detained in Patna.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the ruling coalition of misusing the administration to facilitate alleged vote theft, while JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak claimed polling had been smooth and that the NDA enjoyed widespread support. The Chief Electoral Officer's office said it received 13 complaints during polling and that all had been resolved.
In Uttar Pradesh, voting was held for 11 Legislative Council seats, comprising five graduates' and six teachers' constituencies. The turnout stood at 55.24 per cent as of 4 pm, according to official data. The election was viewed as a prestige contest between the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party.
The Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers' constituency recorded the highest turnout among the teachers' seats at 79.01 per cent, while Agra recorded the highest turnout among the graduates' constituencies at 51 per cent.
Clashes between BJP and Samajwadi Party workers were reported in Gorakhpur, while a scuffle over allegations of forced voting occurred outside a polling centre in Fatehpur. Police said the Fatehpur incident was brought under control and polling continued without disruption. Hoardings targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other party leaders also appeared in several locations, prompting accusations from SP workers that the posters were intended to influence voters.
Ballot papers, rather than electronic voting machines, were used in the Uttar Pradesh elections. Schools and some higher education institutions were closed in several districts for polling.
Counting of votes for the elections in Karnataka, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is scheduled for October 27.
