Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Congress Skips Uttar Pradesh Council Polls, Prioritizes 2027
Congress has decided not to run candidates in 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council races.
The party says it wants to focus on the state’s 2027 Assembly election.
It had already spent months preparing for the Council contests.
The elections are for seats where only registered graduates or teachers can vote.
Some people who had hoped to run with Congress support are now running as independents.
Arvind Singh Patel says he will remain in the race as an independent.
The main contest is expected to be between the BJP and Samajwadi Party, alongside independent candidates.
Voting is scheduled for October 23.
Congress will not field candidates in 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Graduate and Teachers’ constituencies.
The party says it is concentrating its political and organisational resources on the 2027 Assembly elections.
Voting in the Council constituencies is scheduled for October 23; nominations closed October 6.
Several people who had prepared to run with Congress backing, including Arvind Singh Patel, are contesting as independents.
The contest is now largely between the BJP and Samajwadi Party, with independents also running.
- Who
- The Congress party, prospective candidates including Arvind Singh Patel, and candidates from the BJP, Samajwadi Party and independent campaigns.
- What
- Congress has withdrawn from 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Graduate and Teachers’ constituency elections.
- When
- Voting is scheduled for October 23; nominations closed October 6.
- Where
- Five Graduate and six Teachers’ constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- Congress says it is focusing on the 2027 Assembly elections and wants to preserve its alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Reasons for the withdrawal
Costs and alternative views
Prioritizing the 2027 Assembly election
Reasons for the withdrawal
Congress says concentrating on the Assembly election will let it focus its organisational and political resources on the larger electoral contest.
Costs and alternative views
Some prospective candidates had spent months preparing and investing effort and money; Patel said he would continue as an independent.
Maintaining the alliance with the Samajwadi Party
Reasons for the withdrawal
The party’s calculation is that avoiding a direct Council-election contest with the Samajwadi Party will help maintain their alliance ahead of 2027.
Costs and alternative views
The article says the contest is now largely between the BJP and Samajwadi Party, while Congress-backed hopefuls who remain in the race are doing so as independents.
- Council constituencies
- 11 total: five Graduate and six Teachers’ constituencies
- Polling date
- October 23
- Nomination deadline
- October 6
- Nominations filed
- 188 across the 11 constituencies, up from 137 through October 5
- Congress stated focus
- The 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections
- Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council
- 100 members; the article says the BJP-led alliance has 83 members and the Samajwadi Party has 10
- Independent candidate
- Arvind Singh Patel filed his nomination for the Varanasi Graduate constituency on October 5