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Congress setback in key India Uttar Pradesh polls | Congress setback in key India Uttar Pradesh polls |
(40 minutes later) | |
India's governing Congress party is trailing in the fourth place as votes are being counted in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. | |
The regional Samajwadi Party is leading in 193 of 396 seats for which counts are available. The state has 403 seats. | |
Congress also looks set to lose in Punjab, while it is engaged in a neck-and-neck contest in Uttarakhand state. | Congress also looks set to lose in Punjab, while it is engaged in a neck-and-neck contest in Uttarakhand state. |
The state polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of the national elections in 2014. | The state polls are seen as a litmus test ahead of the national elections in 2014. |
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. | 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. |
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 Congress | Blow to Congress |
The most crucial of the state elections has been in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which has more than 200 million people. | The most crucial of the state elections has been in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which has more than 200 million people. |
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. | 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. |
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. | 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 Samajwadi Party is leading in 193 of 403 seats for which vote counts are available, while the ruling BSP is leading in 87 seats. | |
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party were leading in 48 and 40 seats respectively. | |
Correspondents say the leads in Uttar Pradesh will come as a blow to the Congress party. | Correspondents say the leads in Uttar Pradesh will come as a blow to the Congress party. |
"The results are shocking. We are disappointed," the state's Congress party chief, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, told reporters. | |
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, says massive crowds have gathered outside the Samajwadi Party headquarters, singing, dancing and lighting firecrackers. | |
The supporters are chanting the Mr Yadav's name, demanding that he become the new chief minister, our correspondent says. | |
In Punjab, the incumbent regional Shrimoni Akali Dal-BJP alliance has won seven and is leading in 59 seats. Punjab has 117 seats. | |
The Congress party has won six and is leading in 42 seats. | |
Uttarakhand is seeing a neck-and-neck contest with the ruling BJP leading in 30 seats and Congress ahead in 32 seats. Uttarakhand has 70 seats. | |
In Goa, the BJP has won eight seats and is leading in another four. The Congress has won two and is ahead in two seats. Goa has 40 seats. | |
The Congress is doing well in the north-eastern state of Manipur - it has won 10 seats and is leading in three 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. |