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India elections: Samajwadi Party leads in Uttar Pradesh Congress setback in key India Uttar Pradesh polls
(40 minutes later)
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. India's Congress party is trailing in the fourth place as votes are being counted in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
The party is leading in 161 of 349 seats for which leads are available. The state has 403 seats. The regional Samajwadi Party is leading in 181 of 386 seats for which leads are available. The state has 403 seats.
The state polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of national elections, due in 2014. The Congress also looks set to lose in Punjab, while it is engaged in a neck-and-neck contest in Uttarakhand state.
They are also seen as a test for the Congress party-led central government. The state polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of the national elections in 2014.
The government's credibility has been eroded in the past few months due to a series of corruption allegations. They are also seen as a test for the Congress party-led central government, whose credibility has been eroded in the past few months due to a series of corruption allegations.
Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa are the other states where counting is going on. Manipur and Goa are the other states where counting is going on.
Blow to CongressBlow to Congress
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, which has 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). Uttar Pradesh politics has been dominated in recent years by Mayawati, a low-caste Dalit who heads the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and has had four terms as chief minister.
The main opposition Samajwadi Party was leading in 161 of 349 seats for which leads are available, while the ruling BSP was leading in 86 seats. Her main challenger for state power is Mulayam Singh Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Party that mainly represents the interests of a caste grouping called the Other Backward Classes.
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party were leading in 39 and 37 seats respectively. The Samajwadi Party is leading in 181 of 386 seats for which leads are available, while the ruling BSP is leading in 87 seats.
Correspondents say the leads in Uttar Pradesh will come as a blow to the Congress party, which is trailing in the fourth place. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party were leading in 52 and 38 seats respectively.
In Punjab, the incumbent regional Shrimoni Akali Dal-BJP alliance is leading in 65 of the 116 seats for which the leads are available. Punjab has 117 seats. Correspondents say the leads in Uttar Pradesh will come as a blow to the Congress party.
The Congress party is leading in 45 seats. "It's baffling if this is true. I still don't believe the trends," Congress party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.
Uttarakhand is seeing a neck-and-neck contest with the ruling BJP leading in 27 seats and Congress ahead in 25 seats each. Uttarakhand has 70 seats. In Punjab, the incumbent regional Shrimoni Akali Dal-BJP alliance has won three and is leading in 66 seats. Punjab has 117 seats.
In Goa, the BJP is leading in four of the seven out of 15 seats for which the leads are available. The Congress here is ahead only in one seat. Goa has 40 seats. The Congress party has won four and is leading in 42 seats.
The Congress was doing well in the north-eastern Manipur state, leading in nine of the 14 seats for which leads were available. The state has 60 seats. Uttarakhand is seeing a neck-and-neck contest with the ruling BJP leading in 32 seats and Congress ahead in 28 seats. Uttarakhand has 70 seats.
In Goa, the BJP has won five seats and is leading in another five. The Congress has won one and is ahead in two seats. Goa has 40 seats.
The Congress is doing well in the north-eastern Manipur state - it has won five seats and is leading in seven seats for which leads are available. The state has 60 seats.
The month-long elections were held in a total of 690 assembly seats.The month-long elections were held in a total of 690 assembly seats.