Legislative Council vote counting underway in Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP and Bihar

Vote counting has started for several Legislative Council seats in four Indian states. In Maharashtra, 182 candidates are contesting five seats across three graduate constituencies – Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – and two teachers constituencies in Pune and Amravati. Karnataka is holding elections for four seats covering 17 districts, with the main contest between the Congress and the BJP-JD(S) alliance, particularly in the Bengaluru and North-East teachers constituencies and the West and South-East graduate seats. Uttar Pradesh completed voting in 11 seats, involving 152 candidates across five graduate and six teachers constituencies and more than 1.48 million registered voters. Counting is proceeding despite the exclusion of Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat and Unnao from the exercise. The contest features the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party, independents and party rebels. The Election Commission of India has suspended six supervisory officers and initiated disciplinary action against five presiding officers and 16 police personnel for lapses during the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council election in the Agra teachers’ constituency. In Bihar, polling was held for eight seats – four graduate and four teachers constituencies – in Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, Kosi and Saran. Ahead of counting, Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders submitted a memorandum to the state election office requesting safeguards against possible irregularities.