Samajwadi Party wins Varanasi MLC seat in upset victory

Ashutosh Sinha of the Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed victory in the Varanasi graduate Member of Legislative Council (MLC) election on Tuesday, unseating the BJP's Kedar Nath Singh with a decisive vote margin.

The win represents a significant setback for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a seat it had held, and marks an important success for the regional opposition in Uttar Pradesh. Sinha secured the seat through voting by graduates registered in the constituency.

Following his victory, Sinha credited the Samajwadi Party's leadership and ground-level workers for the outcome. "This success is the result of dedicated efforts by our party organization and the support of voters," he said, according to reports.

The SP leader used the occasion to express confidence in his party's prospects for the upcoming state assembly elections, asserting that the Samajwadi Party would form the next government in Uttar Pradesh. Party officials said the Varanasi result demonstrated growing voter interest in opposition alternatives.