The Varanasi Graduate Constituency MLC election has taken a significant turn, with BJP candidate Kedar Nath Singh conceding defeat before the official results were announced. Samajwadi Party candidate Ashutosh Sinha was leading by a substantial margin as vote counting continued. The SP described the development as another major political achievement, invoking Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi in its reaction. However, the final result remained pending until the counting of second-preference votes was completed.

Kedar Nath Singh Accepts the Voters’ Mandate
In a Facebook post, BJP candidate Kedar Nath Singh thanked graduate voters across the Varanasi constituency for their support and expressed respect for the public mandate. He said that although he had not secured victory, the trust and encouragement shown by voters would remain valuable to him. Singh also stated that politics was not merely about holding office but about serving society. He pledged to continue working among people and raising issues concerning the interests of the graduate community.

Samajwadi Party Calls It a Major Achievement
Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Dr Anurag Bhadauria posted on X that the party had received divine blessings. Referring to Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi and Prayagraj, he presented the result as another important achievement for the SP. He also criticised what he described as the use of religious figures and faith for political purposes. These remarks reflected the party’s political interpretation of the election outcome.

Ashutosh Sinha Maintains a Substantial Lead
According to the figures cited in the report, Ashutosh Sinha had secured 50,462 votes against Kedar Nath Singh’s 31,189 votes after nine rounds of counting. The report placed Sinha’s lead at approximately 16,990 votes. Since he had not reached the required threshold through first-preference votes, second-preference counting was underway to determine the final outcome. Approximately 1.18 lakh votes were cast in the constituency during polling held on September 23.

BJP and SP Raise Allegations During Counting
The extended counting process was accompanied by allegations from both parties. BJP workers accused election observer and IAS officer Pranjal Yadav of bias and irregularities, staging a protest outside the counting centre. Following the objections, the fifth round was reportedly counted again. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, alleged that the counting process was being delayed or slowed down and urged party workers to remain vigilant at the centre. As the SP candidate maintained his lead, party supporters celebrated despite the rain.

Official Result Still Awaited
Although Kedar Nath Singh’s concession signalled his acceptance of the emerging trend, the final result had not yet been formally declared in the report. The outcome depended on the completion of second-preference vote counting. The election therefore remained officially unresolved at the time of the reported developments, despite the SP candidate’s sizeable lead.