UK Greens win seat from Labour in  Leicester by-election

Dan Martin - Leicester political reporter; 

Caitlin James - Local Democracy Reporting Service

BBC
Fri, February 20, 2026 


Aasiya Bora secured 1,195 votes in Thursday's vote [Leicester Green Party]

The Green Party has won a seat from Labour in a Leicester City Council by-election.

Aasiya Bora was elected to the authority to represent the Stoneygate ward on Thursday.

Bora secured 1,195 votes, finishing ahead of Labour candidate Adam Sabat, who got 1,089 votes.

The Greens now have four seats on the council.

Labour's Manjula Sood - the UK's first female Asian lord mayor - served as a city councillor for 25 years before her death [BBC]

Bora told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the election campaign had been "positive, unifying and joyful".

"For the community to put the trust in me, and give the Greens a 22% swing, is truly breathtaking," she said.

"We took nothing for granted and had hundreds of conversations on the doorstep. I look forward to sitting with our Green group in council and working with any and all allies in the interests of the people of Leicester."

One Leicester candidate, Asif Udin, came third, while Conservative Rashmi Joshi finished fifth, behind independent candidate Faisal Noor.

Reform's Michael Dabrowski came sixth.

Liberal Democrat candidate Asit Sodha came seventh in the poll - a single vote ahead of independent candidate Michael Barker.
Full result

Aasiya Bora, Green Party - 1,195


Adam Sabat, Labour - 1,089


Alef Uddin, One Leicester - 638


Faisal Noor, Independent - 453


Rashmi Joshi, Conservative - 327


Michael Dabrowski, Reform UK - 106


Asit Sodha, Libera Democrat - 62


Michael Barker, Independent - 61



The turnout in the election was 27.75%.

Labour remains in control of the authority, holding 30 of the 54 available seats, with Sir Peter Soulsby as elected mayor.

The seat became vacant after the death of long-serving Labour councillor Manjula Sood in December at the age of 80.

Sood was the UK's first female Asian lord mayor.

According to her website, she came to Leicester from India, where she had been studying for a PhD, in 1970, and completed her studies before becoming a primary school teacher for about 20 years.

She became the city's first female Hindu councillor in October 1996, after winning a by-election triggered by her husband Paul's death earlier that year.

In May 2008, she became the UK's and Leicester's first Asian female lord mayor.

Sood was appointed an MBE during her time as lord mayor and awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Leicester.

The Conservatives remain the largest opposition party, holding 15 seats on the authority.

There are three Liberal Democrats, and a One Leicester member.


More on this story

Tributes as UK's first female Asian lord mayor dies

Related internet links

Leicester City Council