MLC ELECTION RESULT
A POLITICAL ANALYSIS
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
Many experts wrote columns in NEWSPAPERS, and YOU-TUBERS posted their opinions over the last few days on the result of MLC elections.
News media was braying in support of their paid Political Fathers.
Let me provide some basic information.
MLC stands for ‘Member of Legislative Council’. In states that have a Legislative Council, the legislative process takes place in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
Who votes in MLC elections?
The public does not vote for all MLC seats. Depending on the category of the seat, the electorate consists of:
- #Graduate Constituencies: Graduates who meet specific eligibility criteria and are registered on the electoral roll.
- #Teachers’ Constituencies: Teachers who have taught in specified educational institutions for a prescribed period and are registered on the electoral roll.
- #Local Authorities’ Constituencies: Elected representatives of specific local bodies.
- #Seats elected by MLAs: Members of the State Legislative Assembly (MLAs) cast their votes.
Additionally, some members are nominated by the Governor.
Across India, the BJP and its NDA allies won 18 out of the 28 seats contested—a reasonably strong performance, amounting to 64% success rate.
Meanwhile, the Congress party—which has been attempting to incite anarchy across the country for the past several months—failed to win a single seat, a fact that has not drawn significant commentary. LoP is the Commander-in-Chief for many years of this ill-fated party. He himself, seldom wins elections, and that too from protected constituency!
Firstly, MLC elections do not in any way reflect the mandate of the public. However, if one were to view these results as an indicator, I remain concerned only about Uttar Pradesh. The state is heading for Legislative Assembly elections next year, and it is both essential and desirable for ‘Yogi-ji’ to return to power with a solid and large majority.
In Uttar Pradesh, local BJP leaders had claimed they would win all 11 seats; I personally expected at least 8, but the BJP secured 6 out of the 11 seats. 2 short of my calculations. One of this is Varanasi seat.
What happened in Uttar Pradesh?
On October 23, 2020, elections were held for 11 Graduate and Teachers’ constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. There were approximately 14.81 lakh registered voters, with a voter turnout of 55.24%.
The results showed the BJP winning 6 seats, while the Samajwadi Party won 5. In the 2020 elections, the BJP won 6 seats, the Samajwadi Party (SP) won 3, and independent candidates secured 2. In other words, the BJP failed to increase its seat count this time, while the SP improved its tally from 3 to 5. This is alarming.
More significantly, the Samajwadi Party won the ‘teachers’ constituencies’ in both Agra and Varanasi—it is worth noting that Varanasi is the Lok Sabha constituency of our Prime Minister.
Could the resentment among teachers regarding the TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) be a contributing factor? Possibly ‘YES’.
As I understand it, the Supreme Court’s ruling—which mandates the TET for teachers who were appointed and employed prior to 2010—has created considerable discontent among teachers across India. Imagine entering the profession in 2008 after successfully passing the required examinations, only to be told that you must now pass the TET by 2027–28 or risk losing your job. The profound silence from the central government on this matter is, understandably, a source of great frustration.
Does a government doctor, once appointed, ever must sit for another recruitment examination? Does a judge, once appointed to a High Court or the Supreme Court, ever must re-prove their qualifications? Teachers feel that they have become an ‘easy target’ by the ‘JUDICIARY’ without any protection from the government.
While there is no direct evidence quantifying the exact impact of the TET-related resentment on the BJP’s performance, the success of the Samajwadi Party in the teachers’ constituencies warrants serious analysis.
Dissatisfaction regarding the old pension scheme and other service-related issues may also have played a role. Finance Minister is short in this respect.
These results could serve as a warning for the BJP ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, particularly in U.P.. It is true that the electorate for the MLC (Legislative Council) elections differs from that of the Assembly elections, so the two cannot be directly equated; nevertheless, the sentiments of organized voter groups—such as teachers and graduates—should not be overlooked.
However—I think Legislative Councils shall be removed from our Democratic system. Earlier West Bengal had it. It is removed. All BJP governed states who are having it—shall try to remove it.
Except creating conflict with Assembly—it serves no useful purpose.
FOR FURTHER READNG:
