The Samajwadi Party has retained both Legislative Council seats in the Varanasi division, handing the BJP a politically significant setback in the parliamentary constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.SP’s Lal Bihari Yadav retained the Varanasi Teachers’ seat, while sitting SP MLC Ashutosh Sinha has defeated BJP candidate Kedarnath Singh in the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency. Singh has conceded defeat in a Facebook message, accepting the mandate with humility even as the counting process continues.The defeat is significant for the BJP as Varanasi is not only Modi’s parliamentary constituency but also one of the party’s most prominent political and ideological centres. The loss of both MLC seats gives the SP a notable foothold among the teachers’ and graduates’ electorate in the region.The two constituencies, however, have a specialised electorate and the results should not be read as a direct measure of the wider Varanasi Lok Sabha electorate. The MLC contests are fought among registered teachers and graduates across the Varanasi division.The BJP’s defeat also comes despite the party campaigning aggressively in the constituencies, with senior leadership involved in the campaign. The result is, therefore, likely to intensify scrutiny of the party’s local organisation and mobilisation among these electorates.