Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday questioned the Samajwadi Party’s victories in the state’s biennial Legislative Council elections, saying the SP had won in places where it should not have. Maurya acknowledged that the BJP had expected to win more seats and said the party would review the results and address its shortcomings ahead of future elections.“We were expecting to win even more seats but we did not win those many. We will look into this. SP won where it should not have. We will introspect. We will make efforts to ensure that the BJP wins once again in the forthcoming elections,” Maurya said in Lucknow.The remarks triggered a political exchange between the BJP and the SP, with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleging electoral malpractice and administrative manipulation, while BJP leaders maintained that the party would examine its performance.Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Manipulation in GorakhpurResponding to Maurya’s comments, Akhilesh Yadav suggested that BJP leaders were privately pleased with the SP’s victory. His remarks appeared to refer to Maurya’s statement that the SP had won where it should not have.In a post on X, Yadav accused the BJP of using manipulative tactics in Gorakhpur to prevent an outcome similar to the SP’s victory in Varanasi.He claimed that the BJP had suffered a moral defeat in Gorakhpur despite what he described as electoral malpractice and administrative manipulation.Yadav also urged SP workers to remain vigilant until the results from Varanasi were officially confirmed. He warned that officials accused of favouring the BJP would be held accountable if the PDA alliance — comprising backward classes, Dalits and minorities — formed the government in Uttar Pradesh.These allegations have not, by themselves, established wrongdoing in the counting process.SP Targets BJP Over Unemployment and Teachers’ IssuesSP spokesperson Juhi Singh also criticised Maurya’s remarks, arguing that the MLC election results reflected dissatisfaction with the BJP government.Singh cited unemployment, examination paper leaks, alleged mistreatment of teachers, the assignment of duties outside teachers’ regular responsibilities and the non-implementation of the Old Pension Scheme as issues contributing to public discontent.She described the results as a warning for the ruling party and expressed confidence that the SP would seek to form the government under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership after the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.BJP Says It Will Review Election ResultsBJP spokesperson Navin Srivastava said the party had expected to win more seats, citing the work of the governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, along with the BJP’s organisational strength.He said the party would assess the results and take steps to address any shortcomings.Srivastava also questioned the SP’s criticism of the Election Commission and its allegations concerning the fairness of elections conducted using electronic voting machines and ballot papers.BJP Wins Six Seats, SP Secures TwoThe BJP won six of the 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats contested, while the SP secured two, according to the reported final tally.Before the elections, the BJP held six of the seats, the SP held three and Independents held two.The results have prompted both parties to assess their performance as Uttar Pradesh moves towards the 2027 Assembly elections. While the BJP has said it will review its shortcomings, the SP has used its victories to question the ruling party’s performance and raise concerns about electoral transparency.