India Counts Votes for 28 Legislative Council Seats

The Election Commission of India began counting votes at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27, for 28 Legislative Council seats across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Polling for these seats, which include graduates' and teachers' constituencies, took place on October 23. Results are expected by Tuesday evening.

Counting is underway for 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where the commission suspended six supervisory officers and initiated proceedings against 21 others following lapses in the Agra teachers' constituency. In Bihar, where eight seats are being decided, the Rashtriya Janata Dal submitted a memorandum seeking safeguards against irregularities, while Jan Suraaj candidates and other opposition parties alleged a lack of CCTV cameras at counting centers. A ruckus also broke out at the Bankipur center over suspicious documents.

In Maharashtra, the five-seat contest serves as a test of the Mahayuti alliance's unity amid internal candidate disagreements. In Karnataka, the four-seat result will act as a political test for the Congress government against the BJP-JD(S) alliance. Most of these constituencies utilize a proportional representation system with a single transferable vote.