BJP loses seats in PM Modi's constituency

Lucknow : BJP lost two seats in the council polls in Prime Minister Modi's Varanasi constituency

Both the seats -- one reserved for teachers and the other for graduates -- were won by the Samajwadi Party candidates.

Samajwadi Party's Ashutosh Sinha won the Varanasi Graduates' seat a day after his party colleague Lal Bihari Yadav won from the teachers' constituency.

Lal Bihari Yadav, the Samajwadi winner in the Varanasi teachers' constituency, said, "It is a big victory for the party. I am very happy with the result."

The results for two seats are still pending, while the BJP has won four of the 11 seats, the Samajwadi Party three and independent candidates won two.

Despite a favourable tally for the ruling party, the Samajwadi Party's gains in the BJP stronghold have surprised many.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the six states in India with a bicameral legislature, with two Houses -- the Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly and the Vidhan Parishad or the Legislative Council. The state legislative council has 100 members.

Meanwhile, polling was held on December 1 for 11 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council on the five seats of the graduates and six seats in the teachers' constituency.

The term of the members had expired on May 6 but the elections had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

IANS report with minor edits