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India state elections: Counting begins India elections: Samajwadi Party leads in Uttar Pradesh
(about 1 hour later)
Indian election officials are counting votes in five states where crucial assembly elections have been held. The regional Samajwadi Party has inched ahead in India's politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh as votes are being counted in five states where assembly elections have been held.
Counting in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa began at 08:00 (02:30 GMT). The state polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of national elections, due in 2014.
Definite trends are expected to emerge quickly and all results are expected to be in by later on Tuesday. They are also seen as a test for the Congress party-led central government.
The polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of national elections, due in 2014, and are seen as a test for the Congress party-led central government. The government's credibility has been eroded in the past few months due to a series of corruption allegations.
The government's credibility has been eroded in the past few months due to a series of corruption allegations. If the party does well in elections, correspondents say its leadership will be boosted. If the party does well in elections, correspondents say its leadership will be boosted.
Next PM?Next PM?
The most crucial of the state elections has been in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.The most crucial of the state elections has been in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
If it were a separate country, the state would be the fifth-largest in the world by population, with more than 200 million people. The state, with more than 200 million people, is governed by href="/news/world-asia-india-16924299" title="Will 'Dalit queen' Mayawati win again in Uttar Pradesh?" >Chief Minister Mayawati, a low-caste Dalit from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The state is governed by href="/news/world-asia-india-16924299" title="Will 'Dalit queen' Mayawati win again in Uttar Pradesh?" >Chief Minister Mayawati, a low-caste Dalit from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The main opposition Samajwadi Party was leading in 13 of 21 seats for which leads are available, while the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party were leading in six and two seats respectively. The state has 403 seats.
Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty have campaigned hard in the state in an effort to revive the Congress party's presence.
Some polls have suggested that Congress could increase its vote and may hope to ally with the other strong regional force, the Samajwadi Party, to oppose Ms Mayawati.
Mr Gandhi, 41, is widely seen as a prime minister-in-waiting and analysts say if the Congress does well in Uttar Pradesh, the clamour from within the party that he replace Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will increase.
The state, one of India's least-developed, sends the largest number of representatives to parliament and has provided the country with eight prime ministers since independence in 1947.
Exit polls over the weekend suggested that the regional Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav will win the largest number of seats in the state, but perhaps not enough to secure a majority.Exit polls over the weekend suggested that the regional Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav will win the largest number of seats in the state, but perhaps not enough to secure a majority.
The polls indicated Congress will have a clear edge in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur. In Punjab, the incumbent regional Shrimoni Akali Dal-BJP alliance is leading in 21 of the 31 seats for which the leads are available. Punjab has 117 seats.
The Congress party is leading in nine seats, while an independent candidate is leading in another.
The month-long elections were held in a total of 690 assembly seats.
The exit polls indicated Congress will have a clear edge in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur.