New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- BJP candidate Kedarnath Singh has conceded defeat in the Varanasi Graduate constituency election, posting an emotional message on Facebook as the counting of second-preference votes continues.

Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ashutosh Sinha is leading by more than 16,000 votes, according to the figures reported by Hindustan Times.

Sinha has secured 50,462 votes against 33,674 for Singh, giving the SP candidate a substantial lead in the contest, as per the report.

In his Facebook post, Singh thanked graduate voters for their support and said he accepted the public mandate with humility, even though the result had not gone as expected.

"Gratitude, appreciation, and a pledge to serve the public. I express my heartfelt...