UP MLC Polls: High-Stakes Contest Between BJP and SP Across 72 Districts

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (MLC) elections have emerged as a high-stakes political showdown between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Seen as a semi-final ahead of the assembly elections, the contest covers 11 council seats across 72 of the state’s 75 districts.

Campaigning for the 11 seats reached fever pitch, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spearheading the BJP’s campaign through multiple rallies alongside dozens of ministers, MPs, and over a hundred MLAs. On the opposing front, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav mounted a sharp campaign, cautioning administrative officials against partisan conduct. Vote counting and results declaration are scheduled for October 27.

Key Electoral Figures and Arrangements

The polls feature 152 candidates contesting across five graduate constituencies and six teacher constituencies, with 14.18 lakh registered voters eligible to participate:

• Graduate Constituencies (5): Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, and Allahabad-Jhansi.
• Teacher Constituencies (6): Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, Bareilly-Moradabad, and Gorakhpur-Faizabad.
• Geographic Coverage: Voting is being conducted in 72 districts; Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, and Unnao are excluded as polling was held earlier in those jurisdictions.
• Administration & Security: The Election Commission has deployed 11 central observers, 1,041 sector magistrates, and 456 zonal magistrates across 2,697 polling booths. The exercise involves 12,309 polling personnel, micro-observers, complete videography, and over 2,800 dedicated transport vehicles.
• Polling Window: Voting runs from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Electors can check booth assignments on the CEO portal (ceouttarpradesh.nic.in).

Strict Guidelines on Clerical Errors and ID Verification

Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa issued directives clarifying that clerical or spelling errors in voter lists must not disqualify eligible electors from voting. Presiding officers have been instructed to permit voting upon verification of designated identification proofs, which include:

• Voter ID (EPIC)
• Passport
• Driving License
• PAN Card
• Government-issued identity cards
• Original degree or diploma certificates issued by recognized universities

District Magistrates have been held directly accountable for ensuring that district control rooms address voter denial complaints promptly.

Restrictions and Precautionary Closures

To maintain public order and ensure fair polling, schools up to Class 12 and all liquor outlets remain closed across the 72 voting districts on polling day. A dry-day directive will similarly be enforced during counting day on October 27 across the participating districts.