Lucknow: As the counting of the votes continue, Uttar Pradesh appears to be heading towards a hung assembly with the Samajwadi Party (SP) emerging as the single largest party in the state, falling short of a clear majority.
While the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) stands at the second position, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a neck-and-neck fight for the third spot.
According to the leads at 12.25 am, the SP leads in 186 seats while the BSP manages to lead in 99. The Congress+RLD alliance has inched ahead of the BJP as they stand at 50 and 49 seats respectively. Others lead in 13 assembly seats.
Meanwhile, the BJP has expressed happiness over its performance, saying that they would sit in the opposition rather than supporting any party in the government formation.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap gave the credit of the performance to party president Nitin Gadkari, adding that the party had taken a decision to sit in the opposition.
The Congress, on the other hand, said that the results were against their expectation. However, it maintained that the party would have a say in the government formation in the state.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "Our mission of ousting Mayawati government has been successful… the results are not on the expected lines."
Among prominent candidates, BJP vice-president Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow East, Uma Bharati in Charkhari, Shivpal Singh Yadav in Jaswantnagar, Gopal Tandon in Lucknow North are leading, whereas cabinet minister Nakul Dubey is trailing in Bakshi ka Talab seat, BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi in Pathardeva, and UPPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Lucknow Cantt.
Wife of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Louis Khurshid is trailing and was placed fourth after four rounds of counting. Renu Jaiswal, wife of sitting BSP MLA Ram Prasad Chaudhary arrested by CBI along with Babu Singh Kushwaha in connection with NRHM scam, is leading.
In bastion of Nehru-Gandhi family Amethi, Congress is trailing in two of the five seats, whereas in Rae Bareli the party is trailing in all five seats.
In the SP stronghold Etawah, the party is leading in all three seats.
(With Additional Inputs from PTI)
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