Congress gets zero in 28 MLC seats, BJP loses Varanasi and Patna, SP gains in UP

UPDATED: Oct 28, 2026 23:27 ISTThe political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the INDIA bloc has intensified in Delhi ahead of Diwali, following the announcement of the 2026 Legislative Council election results across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The INDIA alliance is preparing for a demonstration at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November and a public impeachment exercise targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision process, prompting the BJP to organize counter-demonstrations and a padayatra led by Nitin Nabin in Chandni Chowk. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Trade and Industry and wholesale market associations have raised concerns regarding economic disruptions across major commercial hubs during the peak festive shopping season. Concurrently, election outcomes dealt significant losses to the Congress, which failed to win any of the 28 contested seats across four states. The BJP also suffered setbacks in Hindi heartland constituencies, losing Varanasi seats to the Samajwadi Party and Patna to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, while Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party secured victory in Darbhanga. Read MoreVIDEOS FROM OTHER SECTIONSLATEST VIDEOSMLC Polls: Congress Leads in Nagpur; Mahayuti Bags 2 Seats as Management Decides OutcomeThe counting of votes for Legislative Council elections witnessed a keen contest, with Congress candidate Abhijit Wanjari holding a narrow lead of 1,350 votes over the Bharatiya Janata Party in Nagpur. Across the MLC polls, the Mahayuti alliance secured two seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar faction won one seat. Vote counting continued in key constituencies, including Nagpur and Aurangabad. Ground reports indicated a neck-and-neck fight between Congress and BJP party workers in Nagpur, with multiple counting rounds still pending before the decisive quota could be achieved. Political panellists highlighted that MLC elections depend fundamentally on ground-level election management, cadre strength, and direct connect with electorates such as teachers, rather than narrative-building on social media. The results arrive following nationwide campaigns by the opposition alleging vote manipulation, prompting scrutiny over party organisation in Karnataka and Maharashtra, while regional allies like the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal held their ground in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.PM Modi takes swipe at Congress over MLC poll losses despite ballot paper votingPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress after it failed to win a single seat in the Legislative Council elections across four states, despite the polls being conducted using ballot papers. The Prime Minister's remarks were a pointed jibe at the Opposition party's repeated objections to the use of EVMs and demands for a return to paper ballots. The Congress responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's taunt regarding the party failing to win any seats in the recent MLC elections conducted via ballot voting.Yamuna choking: DPCC report reveals alarming levels of contaminationA Delhi Pollution Control Committee report shows water contamination levels across the Yamuna River, with biochemical oxygen demand rising from two milligrams per litre at Palla to 30 milligrams per litre at ISBT Bridge and faecal coliform bacteria counts reaching 35,000 MPN per 100 millilitres. Toxic froth continues to coat stretches around Kalindi Kunj due to untreated sewage and waste immersion. Meanwhile, air quality index data indicates that 24 of the 25 most polluted cities globally are in India. In policy developments, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, formally recognising E100 fuel for compatible flex-fuel vehicles. In political developments, Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Nabin and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led a pad yatra in Chandni Chowk, addressing voter list revisions ahead of an INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan, while highlighting the party's recent MLC election victories across four states.'Most Likely Outcome Is A Netanyahu-Eisenkot Alliance': Yeshayah RoselmanIn an interview discussing the hung verdict in the Israeli Knesset elections, senior researcher Yeshayah Roselman analyzed coalition possibilities for Benjamin Netanyahu after his right-wing alliance fell short of the 61-seat majority. Roselman argued that an alliance with Arab parties is unviable and ruled out a minority government, stating, "the most likely outcome will be that Netanyahu, uh, will be, will remain prime minister with a unity government from across the aisle, either with Eisenkot or, um, or s- um, some of the other parties as well." He also noted Netanyahu's key foreign policy focus on Iran.