The Congress has failed to win any of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, with the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance's clean sweep in Karnataka emerging as the party's biggest setback in the elections.

The results, announced or emerging during counting on October 28, have dealt a blow to the Congress in Karnataka, where it has been in power since 2023. The BJP and JD(S) won all four seats in the state, including the Bengaluru Teachers' constituency previously held by a Congress legislator. The outcome has raised questions about the ruling party's ability to mobilise support among teachers and graduates, despite its control of the state government.

The wider results also underline the Congress's difficulties in contests where regional political alignments, individual candidates and local organisational networks can prove decisive. However, the elections involve a limited electorate and cannot be treated as a direct reflection of public opinion across the four states.

Karnataka sweep puts Congress organisation under scrutiny

The Karnataka verdict is particularly significant because the Congress entered the contest as the ruling party. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who has played a central role in the party's state organisation, had directed ministers to campaign in the constituencies ahead of voting on October 23.

Despite the effort, the Congress could not secure a single seat. The defeat in Bengaluru was especially damaging, with JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath defeating sitting Congress MLC Puttanna by 908 votes.

Ranganath polled 10,810 votes, while Puttanna received 9,902. The result handed the JD(S) a seat previously held by the Congress and demonstrated the electoral advantage the BJP-JD(S) partnership could gain through coordinated campaigning.

The BJP retained the other three constituencies. Shashil G Namoshi won the North-East Teachers' seat, SV Sankanur secured the West Graduates' constituency, and KM Suresh emerged victorious in the South-East Graduates' constituency.

Namoshi's win also carried political significance because the North-East Teachers' constituency includes Kalaburagi, the home region of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

The results have given the BJP and JD(S) an opportunity to challenge the Congress's claim of strong organisational reach in Karnataka. State BJP leaders described the outcome as a rejection of what they called corruption, irregularities and unfulfilled promises by the ruling party.

The defeat does not pose an immediate threat to the Congress government's majority in the Assembly. However, it gives the opposition alliance a morale boost ahead of the next Karnataka Assembly election, scheduled for 2028. Union Minister and JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy welcomed the results and projected the victory as an indication of the alliance's potential in the next state polls.

Congress struggles to make an impact in three other states

The Congress's failure to win a seat was not confined to Karnataka. The party also drew a blank in the Legislative Council contests in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, although the political dynamics in these states differ considerably from those in Karnataka.

In Uttar Pradesh, 11 seats were contested, with the BJP and Samajwadi Party emerging as the principal contenders. The BJP retained seats in Meerut, Bareilly-Moradabad and Lucknow, while the Samajwadi Party won the Varanasi Teachers' and Agra Teachers' constituencies.

Counting was still in progress in several constituencies when the results were being reported on October 28. The emerging picture pointed to the BJP maintaining a strong position, while the Samajwadi Party registered gains in key contests.

Bihar's eight-seat election produced a more diverse outcome. The Rashtriya Janata Dal won the Patna Teachers' constituency, while the BJP secured the Tirhut Teachers' seat. The Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, registered its first Legislative Council victory by winning in Darbhanga.

Independent candidate Rahul Raj won the Saran Teachers' constituency. The Jan Suraaj Party's victory in Darbhanga came at the expense of sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha, adding to the Congress's disappointing performance. Counting in the graduates' constituencies was continuing, leaving the overall state tally incomplete at the time of reporting.

In Maharashtra, five seats were part of the contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. Counting was ongoing, with early trends indicating gains for the BJP-led Mahayuti.

The final outcomes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra could change the state-wise picture as counting concludes. However, the Congress's inability to win any seat across the four states has already made the election a difficult result for the party to explain.

Why these elections matter

The Legislative Council elections differ significantly from regular Assembly polls. Graduates' and teachers' constituencies have a restricted electorate made up of registered voters belonging to specific professional categories. The elections use ballot papers and preferential voting, placing considerable importance on candidates' local connections, direct voter outreach and the transfer of preferences.

Consequently, the results should not be interpreted as a comprehensive measure of the Congress's standing among the general electorate. Yet, failing to win a single seat across 28 constituencies remains a setback, particularly in Karnataka, where the party controls the government and had actively mobilised its leadership for the campaign.

The Karnataka outcome also highlights the importance of alliance coordination. The BJP and JD(S) fought the four contests together, with the BJP winning three seats and the JD(S) taking Bengaluru Teachers' constituency.

For the Congress, the results raise questions about whether its organisational machinery and government-led welfare agenda have translated into support among teachers and graduates. For the opposition alliance, the sweep offers an opportunity to build momentum and present itself as a credible challenger ahead of the next Assembly election.

The MLC results do not, by themselves, establish a broader shift in voter sentiment. But the Karnataka defeat, combined with the Congress's poor showing elsewhere, gives the BJP and its allies fresh political ammunition at a time when the Congress has also been campaigning against the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission of India.

With counting still underway in parts of the three other states, the final figures remain subject to updates. Karnataka, however, has already delivered a clear setback for the Congress, which lost all four seats, including one it previously held.