BJP candidate choices criticised after Uttar Pradesh council election setbacks
The ruling BJP's performance in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections drew criticism of its candidate selection, with the Samajwadi Party achieving only limited gains in the state's western region, NDTV reported. Vote counting for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka began, with turnout ranging from 53% to 93%, officials said. As counting progressed, the BJP led in Uttar Pradesh, securing five of the 11 seats while the Samajwadi Party won three, according to The Hindu.
The Print noted that the Samajwadi Party captured the Varanasi teachers constituency and was ahead in several graduate seats, though the BJP retained most of its positions. NDTV later reported that the BJP and its allies won six of the 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh and three of four seats in Karnataka, while the Congress held a graduate seat in Nagpur. Earlier, The Week reported the BJP winning the Tirhut Teachers seat in Bihar and the Jan Suraaj Party narrowing its margin in Darbhanga.
