

It was a day of grand wins and bruising defeats. As counting ended Tuesday for elections in five states, the Samajwadi Party (SP) surged back to power in Uttar Pradesh and the Akali Dal broke a four-decade jinx to win another term in Punjab, leaving India's ruling Congress battered and the main opposition BJP counting its losses.



Two ruling parties ousted, two holding on to power despite the odds and neck-and-neck in a fifth state - the electoral pastiche following the February-March polls in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa proved that the voter, weary of corruption and inflation, refused to be dazzled by either promises or star value and used only hard pragmatism in exercising choice.



That's all from the Yahoo! News desk on the assembly polls coverage for today.



Uttar Pradesh















Punjab

Uttarakhand

Manipur

Goa



9:00 pm: Couldn't assure voters we could beat BSP: Digvijaya Singh



8:30 pm: BJP does better than expected in polls









Barring disappointment in Uttar Pradesh, where it failed to improve its tally, the Bharatiya Janata Party had reasons to smile with the poll results.



It has won in Goa, rebuffed an anti-incumbency wave in Uttarakhand to remain in contention for power and in Punjab is part of the victorious alliance with the Akali Dal, though its tally is down this time. It failed to open its account in Manipur.



8:10 pm: Voters are winners in state elections: Quraishi



While political parties are busy analysing their performance in the state elections, Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi Tuesday said that voters and democracy are the winners in the polls.



"The winners are: the voters. Democracy. INDIA. Let's be proud of India," Quraishi said on micro-blogging side twitter.



7:45 pm:



SP spokesperson Gaurabv Bhatia assures that he's talking to his leadership to help the journalists as soon as possible and in whatever way possible.



7:30 pm:



SP workers go on a rampage smashing at least 15 cameras of media people. They've held around 100 journalists hostage for the last two hours in Jhansi. BJP immediately said "SP is known for such hooliganism. NDTV has the story



7:15 pm: I am responsible for UP failure: Rahul





7:00 pm: Mayawati statues will not be razed: Akhilesh



Akhilesh Yadav said that the parks and statues built during the Mayawati regime won't be razed as the vacant space around it would be used to build social institutions like hospitals.



"We won't raze the statues of Mayawati. Mulayam Singh ji has said that there is sufficient vacant space around it to build a social institution like a hospital," added Yadav.



6:40 pm: A seven-year-old child was killed by a gun shot at the victory celebration of Samajwadi Party leader Iqbal Mehmood in Sambhal. IBNLive has the story



6:30 pm: Gloom at Congress headquarters after dismal performance







A sense of gloom prevailed at the All India Congress Committee headquarters following the party's poor performance in state assembly elections, especially Uttar Pradesh.



The headquarters, located at 24, Akbar Road in the heart of Lutyen's Delhi, wore a deserted look with almost all party leaders staying away, possibly to avoid the huge media contingent gathered outside.



The long wait was finally rewarded when Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi, putting up a brave front, appeared from inside only to inform the journalists that Rahul Gandhi's press conference would take place at his residence shortly.



6:15 pm: Poll results give BJP reason to celebrate







It was a splash of saffron and festivities at the Bharatiya Janata Party office here as the party managed to pull together a good show in the assembly polls results declared.



Firecrackers were burst as party workers celebrated the "defeat" of the Congress, more than their victory.



"The results in Goa and Punjab have showcased that those who were judging BJP to be a very small player now have to re-evaluate their calculations," a party worker said amid bursting of firecrackers. Read on



6:00 pm: 3 basic lessons from the state polls





Mayawati's was the SP’s gain: lowish-caste voters, especially the many rural ones in the centre and east of the state, flocked to the SP. It has successfully rejigged its image since it last ruled. It was once known as a party of thugs, whose leaders opposed the use of English or computers, and allowed lawlessness to flourish when it ruled the state from 2003 to 2007. The Economist has the story



5:45 pm: Is the Gandhi charisma fading?







The charisma of the younger Gandhis didn't seem to have worked, even in the family pocketboroughs in Uttar Pradesh. In a major setback, the Congress has lost all the seats in Rae Bareli, represented in the Lok Sabha by party president Sonia Gandhi.



Four of the seats in Rae Bareli were bagged by the Samajwadi Party while the fifth went to the Peace Party, the Election Commission sources said. Read on



5:34 pm: Akhilesh's daughters say 'daadu' for Chief Minister



5:24 pm: Digvijay asks SP not to repeat goons' rule













Digvijay Singh expressed happiness over the defeat of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, but asked the victorious Samajwadi Party (SP) not to repeat its 2002-2007 "rule of goons".



Reacting to the poll results that indicated a comfortable majority for SP in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly, Singh said the defeat of BSP meant the people of the state wanted an end to the "corruption" of Mayawati.



He also said that it was "good" the voters gave a decisive mandate to the SP.



Story continues



5:15 pm: Taking responsibility for electoral rout in Uttar Pradesh, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has offered to quit from his post.



5:05 pm: Celebrations at BJP office in Goa







Celebrations were on at the Bharatiya Janata Party's office as the party along with its alliance partner, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, won majority in the 40-member state assembly.



"We have prepared a time-bound agenda which we have promised in our election manifesto and we are going to implement it. Petrol as promised will be sold at Rs.55 in Goa immediately after the budget," BJP leader and hot favourite for chief minister Manohar Parrikar.



4:55 pm: Congress defeated for opposing Lokpal bill: Kiran Bedi







Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said the Congress party had performed badly in state elections because it was blatantly against an effective Lokpal bill to curb corruption.



"Congress appeared to be suffering today also because it was blatantly against an effective Lokpal bill. And still is! Unless it changes stance," Bedi said on micro-blogging site twitter.



"The party in power at the Centre not only needs to understand what has gone wrong but what is right at all. Huge corruption has costed them heavily," she said.



4:50 pm: BJP-MGP combine gets majority in Goa, bagging 23 of the 40 Assembly seats. The COngress was ousted and could manage only 9 seats.



4:40 pm: Uttarakhand chief minister Khanduri loses from Kotdwar



4:30 pm: Kamat resigns as Goa chief minister















Digambar Kamat Tuesday resigned as chief minister of Goa and blamed his Congress party's sidelining him ahead of the assembly elections for the debacle in which a massive anti-incumbency wave knocked out the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance.



Kamat submitted his resignation to Goa Governor K. Sankaranarayanan.



Before leaving for the governor's official residence, Kamat told reporters in Margao that he had been side-lined by the Congress, even though he gave a stable government.



4:20 pm: Rahul takes blame for UP debacle







Rahul Gandhi accepted responsibility for the party's disastrous showing in Uttar Pradesh where he aggressively led the election campaign.



"I fought, so it is my responsibility (for what happened)," Gandhi told reporters here, as it became clear that the Samajwadi Party was poised to take power in Uttar Pradesh.



"I promised to the people of UP that I will be seen with the poor, on the roads and fields.



"My work will continue. My efforts will be to re-erect the Congress in UP." More on this story



4:15 pm: Mayawati statues will not be removed: Akhilesh Yadav



4:10 pm: Akhilesh Yadav promises law and order will be the top prioriy for the Samajwadi Party.



4:05 pm: Akhilesh Yadav says Samajwadi Party will do all they can to develop UP.



4:00 pm: Akhilesh Yadav reiterates that Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the next chief minister of UP.



3:50 pm: Akhilesh Yadav thanked the people to Uttar Pradesh to vote Samajwadi Party to majority.



3:40 pm: Won't blame Uma Bharti for UP results



























BJP leader Anurag Thakur said the results in Uttar Pradesh were "not encouraging". But he refused to blame Uma Bharti who was the party incharge for the state elections.



He refused to blame Uma Bharti, the BJP's star campaigner who migrated from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh to make Uttar Pradesh her political abode.



"We can't blame Uma Bharti as there were many more reasons behind it. There can't be a single reason...We need to introspect," he said.



3:35 pm: Rahul Gandhi says Congress party's root in UP weak.



3:30 pm: Rahul Gandhi says he will continue to work in Uttar Pradesh and for the upliftment of the people there.



3:15 pm: UP result deeply disappointing: Khurshid















The dismal showing by the Congress in Uttar Pradesh was "deeply disappointing", Law Minister Salman Khurshid said.



As it became clear that the Congress would have to settle for a meagre 26 of 403 seats, Khurshid said the party had hoped to perform better in Uttar Pradesh with Rahul Gandhi leading the charge.



"The results are deeply disappointing," Khurshid told Times Now channel. "But we don't have to close shop. This is not the end of the world."



3:00 pm:



BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife, Dr. Navjot Kaur has won the assembly elections from East-Amritsar constituency today.





2:50 pm: On Delhi's edge, BSP is king



The Bahujan Samaj Party may have lost power in Uttar Pradesh but it reigned supreme in areas which border the national capital.



By Tuesday afternoon, BSP candidates had won from three of the five seats in Ghaziabad district: Loni, Muradnagar and Ghaziabad City.



The winners were Suresh Bansal (Ghaziabad), Wahab Chaudhary (Muradnagar) and Zakir Hussain (Loni).



2:40 pm: Congress humiliated in Rae Bareli







The Congress suffered a disastrous defeat losing all five seats in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli constituency, represented by party president Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.



Four of the seats were bagged by the Samajwadi Party while the fifth went to the Peace Party, Election Commission sources said.



2:35 pm: Manpreet Badal loses both Punjab seats









Former finance minister and People's Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal lost both from Maur and Gidderbaha constituencies.



2:30 pm: Our rebels hurt the numbers. We were able to bring some back but the SAD kept the rest afloat. The numbers dropped because of those rebels: Amarinder Singh



2:20 pm: We will decide on alliances once we know the numbers: Akhilesh











2:15 pm: Mulayam heartland celebrates





The traditional Yadav bastions of Mainpuri, Etawah and Firozabad celebrated wildly Tuesday as the Samajwadi Party seemed set to return to power in Uttar Pradesh.



Groups of party workers took to the streets in Shikohabad with party flags. The mood turned festive, with many smearing one another with Holi colours - two days before the festival.



In Firozabad, home to India's glass and bangle industry, a bulk of Muslim votes appeared to swing decisively towards the SP.



2:10 pm: Results a mixed bag for BJP: Sushma







With the party poised for a win in Goa and the SAD-BJP alliance leading in Punjab, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj Tuesday described its performance in the assembly elections as a "mixed bag".



"It's a mixed bag for BJP," Swaraj told reporters outside the party office.



"We have won Punjab, we are winning Goa, we are nearing the majority in Uttarakhand also," she added.



2:00 pm: Mayawati to resign as UP chief minister







Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was expected to reach Raj Bhavan at 3.30 p.m. to submit her resignation to Governor B.L. Joshi, official sources said.



This follows her Bahujan Samaj Party's defeat in the assembly elections.



1:45 pm:



In Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav, who attempted a successful image makeover for the SP, is the man of the moment. Underplaying his role, he said the entire SP had won the day together. He thanked the people for "believing in the SP...people across caste and community voted for the SP," he said. NDTV has the story



1:35 pm:



The Bharatiya Janata Party said the Uttar Pradesh election results would cast a shadow on the Congress-led central government as the Samajwadi Party (SP) had emerged strongly in the state.



"The people in Uttar Pradesh wanted change, that change came in the form of SP," BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy told.



"SP emerging independently in Uttar Pradesh is a bad sign for the Congress, it will spell a shadow on the central government," Rudy said.



1:28 pm:



Winds of change are blowing across the political landscape in Goa and the Congress is quivering from stem to stern.



The Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to oust Congress from power in Goa having already won 14 seats and with leads in seven more.



The Congress on Tuesday faced a huge setback in Goa as many of its stalwarts, including current state chief Subhas Shirodkar and minister Joaquim Aleamo, lost to relatively new candidates fielded by the BJP in the Assembly elections.



1:24 pm: Mulayam Singh Yadav credits Akhilesh Yadav for Samajwadi Party's revival in UP.



1:20 pm: SP winning in UP a cause of worry: Uma Bharti











"As of now, the picture is not very clear. But it is clear that the SP is rising as the number one party in the state. It is a cause of worry as crime will increase in the state and I am worried about safety of people," Uma Bharti said.



1:13 pm:



The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine is all set to retain power - a first in the history of the state -- as per early trends in Punjab Assembly polls, dealing a body blow to the Congress.



The combine is leading in 61 seats, as opposed to the Congress which is ahead in 53 constituencies in the 117-seat House. Independents are leading in 3 seats.



The Congress got a shock in Punjab with the Akali Dal-BJP combine seems set to retain power in Punjab, a first in the history of the state, by leading in 60 of the 117-member House. Congress, which was expected to wrest power, was leading in 54 seats.



1:05 pm:



Agra, the Dalit capital of northern India, dominantly stood by Chief Minister Mayawati even as her Bahujan Samaj Party suffered blows elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh.



As counting of the millions of votes cast in the seven-phase elections continued, BSP candidates gave a good fight all across the region.



1:02 pm: BJP confident of forming Government in Uttarakhand





Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on expressed confidence of forming the government in the state.



"The trends that are coming are in front of you. We are moving quickly in Uttar Pradesh also. A few of our seats are already clear and we are in the line for forming the government in Uttarakhand. I am hoping that we will form the government in Uttarakhand," said Nishank.



12:57 pm:



The Bharatiya Janata Party will stake its claim to form the next government in Goa and would welcome the support of all independent candidates, state party president Laxmikant Parsenkar said.



12:53 pm: Goa: BJP makes big gains, routs Congress



12:50 pm: Rahul did a brilliant job: Rita Bahuguna Joshi











With the Congress nowhere near power in Uttar Pradesh, the party sprung to its chief campaigner Rahul Gandhi's defence with state party chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi saying the onus for defeat lay with the state unit.



"Avishvas Rahul par nahin hai (This distrust is not towards Rahul)," Joshi told reporters as the votes were counted for the staggered elections.



In trends available, the Samajwadi party (SP) was leading in 191 seats, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 97 and the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at 50 each.



Joshi said she was "hugely disappointed" with the results.



12:43 pm: Uttarakhand headed for hung assembly









12:37 pm: We wasted huge opportunity in UP: BJP leader





The BJP looked set for a huge tally in Uttar Pradesh early this morning. Leads showed the party was all set to beat expectations with 90 of 403 seats seeing within reach. But the momentum slowed down and by 10.30 am, the party looks like it will manage about 60 seats. A wasted opportunity, said senior leader Sudheendra Kulkarni to NDTV.





12:37 pm: We wasted huge opportunity in UP: BJP leaderThe BJP looked set for a huge tally in Uttar Pradesh early this morning. Leads showed the party was all set to beat expectations with 90 of 403 seats seeing within reach. But the momentum slowed down and by 10.30 am, the party looks like it will manage about 60 seats. A wasted opportunity, said senior leader Sudheendra Kulkarni to NDTV.



12:33 pm: Akhilesh Yadav says Mulayam Singh will be the next CM



12:30 pm: Rita Lal Bahuguna goes all out to praise Rahul Gandhi and says national leaders can't be blamed for UP debacle



12:26 pm:









HT Bhopal editor Abhijit Majumber: Pathetic part about Congress is, after a washout, entire senior leadership busy covering up for Rahul Gandhi #UP



12:24 pm: Akhilesh Yadav celebrating victory outside SP office in Lucknow



12:20 pm: Mayawati to submit her resignation today



12:15 pm:









The Samajwadi Party today seems on way to emerging as the single largest party in Uttar Pradesh where the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati has been routed.



12:10 pm: The Congress got a shock in Punjab with the ruling SAD-BJP combine well on the way to retaining power, and early trends in Goa too show that the party might end up with fewer seats than the BJP which is leading in 11 of the 20 seats for which trends have come in till now.



12:05 pm: Meanwhile, Uttarakhand is locked in a see-saw battle between the ruling BJP and a surprisingly confident Congress, even though the BJP appears to have a very slight edge as it is leading in 29 seats against Congress in 28. The BJP might well unseat the Congress from power in Goa if this trend continues.



12:00 pm: However, in Manipur, the Congress is set to sweep back to power for the third consecutive term.



11:55 am:

Samajwadi Party is well ahead of its rivals but to form a govt it may need the support of others. So chances of a coalition govt in UP are high.



11:50 am: BJP rules out political marriage with Mayawati







The BJP's Muqtar Abbas Naqvi made it clear this morning that his party will not look at a third-time political marriage with Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh.





11:43 am: Congress set for return to power in Manipur



Manipur's ruling Congress was set for an emphatic return to power as it took the lead in 23 constituencies with trends available for 34 of the 60 assembly seats.



The Congress was followed by the Trinamool Congress with three seats. Smaller parties were ahead in the remaining eight seats. More on this story



11:39 am: Celebration starts in SP office in UP



11:35 am: Faking News tweets:







With a hung assembly, all Elephant statues in Uttar Pradesh to be replaced with Horse statues





Rahul Gandhi and Yogendra Yadav - they fail each time, but never go out of business.



11:30 am: With the highest number of criminal crorepatis, does this augur well for the attack on the criminalization of politics?



11:26 am: UP's mandate: BSP out you go! In just the 1st phase of polling , 51% of those contesting were crorepatis. In 2007, there were 22% crorepati candidates . It was BSP with the richest three.



11:24 am:









Uttarakhand :Congress & BJP neck and neck





11:22 am: 1 lakh ballot papers of armed forces in far flung areas has been crucial in the past



11:20 am: Assembly results major blow for Congress, Rahul







Congress leaders admitted they were stunned as results from five state elections showed the party faced defeats in Punjab and Goa and a poor showing in Uttar Pradesh.



The Congress was on top in Uttarakhand but short of an outright majority. The only good news came from Manipur, where the Congress was set to sweep and retain power.



Congress leaders quickly rushed to insulate their star campaigner in Uttar Pradesh and general secretary Rahul Gandhi from criticism, saying that a wide variety of factors were to blame for the multiple disaster.



11:12 am: Louise Khurshid slips to sixth position in Farrukhabad







In what could be a major upset for the Congress, Louise Khurshid, wife of union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, was trailing in the sixth position in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad assembly seat. Read on



11:08 am:



BSP reaches the coveted 100 mark



11:05 am: Election trends









A glimpse at the trend dominating election results.



11:05 am: Election trendsA glimpse at the trend dominating election results.



11:00 am: Yahoo! INSIGHT: Bad day for both the national parties.



10:59 am:





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.



10:56 am:

The Samajwadi Party is emerging as the single largest party leading in 173 of the total 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh assembly on Tuesday. BSP, which had won an absolute majority with 206 seats in the 2007 polls, is leading in 98 seats, whereas BJP and Congress are ahead in 56 seats.



10:54 am:



Akali Dal in Punjab lead with 62 seats against Congress's 51.



10:51 am: Close fight in Uttarakhand







It was a close contest in Uttarakhand with the latest trends showing that the Congress was leading in 31 of the 70 seats and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead in 25 seats. Read the story here



10:47 am: Hung Assembly looms over UP







Even though the Samajwadi Party seems to be emerging as the single-largest party in Uttar Pradesh, it is unlikely that it would be able to form a government on its own steam as it is just short of the half-way mark.



The prospects of a hung assembly in UP with no party appearing to get a clear cut majority loom large, if the trends available till now are any indication.



The Bharatiya Janata Party meanwhile has said that it has decided to sit in the opposition in Uttar Pradesh, and that it will not support anyone.



SP is leading in 169 of the total 403 seats, ruling BSP is leading in 101 seats followed by BJP and Congress, which are leading in 56 and 51 seats, respectively. This is on the basis of trends available from 391 of the 403 Assembly seats in UP.



Does that mean that the Congress and the SP might come together to form a government? Well, the jury’s out on that. Watch this space for further updates.





10:46 am: Race for Punjab: Will fence-sitters be king makers?





Most exit polls have predicted the race in Punjab as neck and neck and the focus is on the fence-sitters. The Congress' Amarinder Singh spoke to NDTV's Vikram Chowdhary and made it clear that he believes victory will be his.



10:46 am: Race for Punjab: Will fence-sitters be king makers?Most exit polls have predicted the race in Punjab as neck and neck and the focus is on the fence-sitters. The Congress' Amarinder Singh spoke to NDTV's Vikram Chowdhary and made it clear that he believes victory will be his.



10:43 am: Rahul Gandhi flops in Uttar Pradesh





Congress party was trailing in fourth place as counting of votes got underway in Uttar Pradesh, a stunning blow to Rahul Gandhi who had staked his political future on reviving his party's fortunes in the state.



"It's baffling if this is true," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said as partial results showed his party was likely to fall far short of the 120 seats it predicted it would win in the state's 403-seat legislative assembly. Read the story on Yahoo! News



10:41 am: INSIGHT:



For the first time in Punjab's history, this is a pro -incumbent vote. This is a state that has voted out every government in 5 years until 2012 .Clearly, anti-incumbency is as outdated as exit polls.



10:40 am:

Congress candidate Chalonlien Amo wins Tipaimukh assembly seat in Manipur defeating his nearest rival, Trinamool Congress’ L Fimate.



10:37 am: EMBARRASSMENT FOR CONGRESS:



In what is an extremely embarrassing situation for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, the party's candidates in the Gandhi bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli are trailing their opponents.



With the party pused to the fourth position in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress on Tuesday accepted the verdict of the people which was 'against our expectations'.



Congress party spokesman Rashid Alvi was quoted by the media as aying: "Whatever verdict has been given by the people, we have accepted....It was against our expectations and we will find out where we have gone wrong".



10:34 am: Wished we had more time, says Khanduri







In Uttarakhand, the BJP is likely to lose to the Congress which is likely to win 34 seats - just two short of the half-way mark of 36. The BJP is expected to get 27 seats while the BSP may get three seats.





10:30 am: Manipur chief minister leading in early trends





The Congress seems headed for a clean sweep in Manipur with the party leading in 19 of the 29 seats for which trends have come in. The PDP was ahead in only 2.



Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and Works minister K Ranjit of Congress were leading from Thoubal and Sugnu seats respectively in Thoubal district.



Ibobi Singh was leading against his rival O Indira of BJP by 120 votes, while Ranjit Singh was leading by 35 votes against his rival M Binod of Manipur People's Party.



10:29 am:



A big day for Gadkari as the party believes in his leadership abilities.



10:28 am:



Political insight of the hour of UP : Its not a SP sweep, a fractured mandate. Will the election results go into late night - behind the scene deals. Is this a movement towards BJP or away from the Congress?



10:27 am:

The big question: What does this mean for the centre? Do the Lucknow tremors along with the Punjabi quaking, will the allies desert the Congress at the centre?



10:25 am: SP short of halfway mark



10:23 am:





BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy: I’ll repeat it again that we’ll not support anyone and sit in the opposition.



10:18 am: UP set for hung house, SP leads, BSP routed







Uttar Pradesh was headed for a hung verdict with the Samajwadi Party (SP) leading the four-horse race but expected to fall short of a majority to form a government on its own.



The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which swept to power in 2007 winning a staggering 206 seats, was headed for a near rout, officials said here. The Congress was trailing in the fourth spot.



The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surged ahead dramatically, mainly in urban centres, with its candidates leading in 59 constituencies.



10:16 am: Who's saying what on Twitter:







Pritish Nandy @PritishNandy Congress loses every election except in the tiny state of Manipur. And the Sensex applauds!



Kiran Bedi @thekiranbedi Recall Badals, BJP,left parties came to Jantar Mantar and publically committed for independent-effective lokpal+lokayukt. Congress did not!



Chetan Bhagat @chetan_bhagat I am happy that I live in a country where people are no longer enamored by a family that shields the corrupt and is too arrogant to talk.



barkha dutt @BDUTT In Punjab: remarkable pro incumbent vote for the akalis. They have bucked the trend of rotating doors..and won on performance



Sagarika Ghose @sagarikaghose Louis Khursheed trails: my take is that Salman was secretly hoping her election would be countermande



10:13 am:



With a lead in 19 seats, Manipur's ruling Congress was far ahead of its rivals in trends available for 28 of the 60 assembly constituencies.



10:09 am: SAD-BJP alliance zooms ahead in Punjab







The ruling SAD-BJP alliance is ahead in Punjab, leading in 65 Assembly seats, while the Congress is leading in 43 according to the trends available in 110 or the 117 Assembly constituencies till 10:00 AM.



The Congress was leading in Ghanaur, Amritsar Central, Khadoor Sahab, Garh Shankar, Talwandi Sabo, Rajpura, Fatehgarh Churian, Samana and Patiala. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was leading in Patiala and his son Raninder Singh from Samana.



The SAD was leading in Raja Sansi, Sultanpur Lodhi, Faridkot, Nabha, Barnala, Attari, Ropar and Balachaur. More on this story





10:06 am: Punjab: SAD-BJP takes lead



10: 05 am: Uttarakhand: Close fight between Congress and BJP



10:004 am: Congress leading in Manipur



10:03 am: UP: SP on top, BJP surges, BSP set for rout



Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was headed for a rout with the Samajwadi Party leading the vote count that began Tuesday and the BJP making stunning gains.



With trends available from 115 of the 403 assembly seats, the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav led in 44, making huge inroads all across the state. More on this story



10:01 am: BJP leads in Uttarakhand, shocker for Congress



10:00 am: Unimaginable scenes :



























Congress trailing in Amethi, in Sultanpur - Salman Khurshid's wife trailing



10:00 am: THE BIG PICTURE:



Is Congress getting wiped out in North India?



9:58 am: In GOA, BJP leads as single largest party.



9:54 am:







In a shocker for the Congress, the party was trailing in all five assembly seats in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh which is represented in the Lok Sabha by party president Sonia Gandhi.



Election Commission sources also said that the Congress was trailing in Jagdishpur constituency in neighbouring Amethi, which elected Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to the Lok Sabha.



9:49 am:



UP party chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said she will take responsibility for such eventuality if the party fails to convert Gandhi's presence into votes.



9:45 am: SP surges ahead, BJP makes surprise gain in UP.



9:40 am: What can be said with certainty is that the Samajwadi Party will emerge as the largest party in UP.



9:37 am:









Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP spokesperson says Congress has been torn. They have to introspect



9:35 am:

Harish rawat : Congress will win in Uttarakhand. I was hoping for a smooth sailing. Even if it’s a tough fight, I’m still confident we’ll win.



9:33 am: SP leads in 119 seats now in UP



9:32 am: Congress in a comfortable lead in Uttarakhand but trailing in Maidan region; congress leader is optimistic.



9:30 am: Congress leads in Uttarahand



9:29 am: Akalis lead in Punjab



9:28 am: BJP emerges as the second largest party in UP



9:25 am: UP:





















The SP is ahead in 97 seats, BJP in 45, BSP in 37 and the Congress with its allies is leading in 21 seats. Independents and others are ahead in seven seats.



9:22 am:

The Shiromani Akal Dal(SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) alliance took lead after the initial hour of counting, while the Congress was trailing.



9:24 am: BJP surprises many in UP



9:20 am: PUNJAB: Akalis have a slight edge over Cong









The Congress and the Akali Dal-BJP combine appeared to be in a neck-and-neck race in the Punjab Assembly polls, with the Akalis holding a slight edge.



The Akali-BJP combine is ahead in 43 seats, while the Congress is leading in 29 seats, of the total of 78 seats for which trends are in.



SAD candidate Veer Singh Lopoke was leading over his nearest rival Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria of the Congress from Raja Sansi assembly segment by 668 votes.



From Ghanaur segment, Congress' Madan Lal Jalalpur was had a slender lead of 7 votes over his nearest rival Harinder Singh of the CPM.



In Gurdaspur, SAD's Gurbachan Singh Babbehali was leading over his nearest Congress rival Raman Behl by a narrow margin of 10 votes in early trends from the constituency.



In Phagwara, BJP's Som Prakash was leading over Balbir Kumar Sodhi of the Congress by 600 votes.



Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur was leading over her nearest rival Navtej Sidhu from Sultanpur Lodhi assembly constituency.



9:15 am:



Amarinder Singh of Indian National Congress leading in Patiala over Surjit Singh Kohli of Shiromani Akali Dal.



9:12 am: BJP is darkhorse, gamechanger, in UP



9:09 am:





In Goa, early trends show a lead for independent candidates.



9:05 am:



Meanwhile, it is learnt that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has sought an appointment with the UP Governor. Early trends are indicating that the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party is headed for a total rout in the state.



The UP elections are significant as they will decide the political fortunes of many a big player -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BSP’s Mayawati, SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, among others.



9:03 am: Congress' Amita Singh trails in Amethi.



9:00 am: GOA:







Early morning trends on Tuesday showed the BJP and the Congress fighting neck and neck in Goa, notching 2 seats each. The United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP) was at a close second, gaining 1 seat.



8:55 am:

Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party have taken the early leads in Uttar Pradesh where counting of votes began after a seven-phased elections concluded on Saturday.



However, it is the Samajwadi Party that seems to be headed for power in the all-important state of UP.

Early trends indicate that the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP is leading on 68 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 45 seats.



The ruling BSP, which had 206 seats in the 403 strong Assembly in 2007 polls, was ahead in only 27 seats and seems to be losing in 47 seats out of a total of 170 seats for which trends are available.



Congress was leading in 21seats.



8:51 am:





Shivpal Singh Yadav of SP leading in Jaswantnagar seat (Uttar Pradesh) by 2803 votes



8:50 am:



No impact of Kushwaha arrest on results, claims BJP



The BJP's Kalraj Mishra told reporters at the party's office in Lucknow that its association with Babu Singh Kushwaha did not tarnish the party. "There will be no impact of the Kushwaha factor," he was quoted as NDTV by saying. Mr Mishra added: 'I am confident the results will be in our favour."



8:45 am:

In sync with the exit polls, the Samajwadi Party appears all set to emerge as the single largest party in the political live-wire state of Uttar Pradesh. However, the biggest surprise is the spectacular lead gained by the Bhartiya Janata Party as it is emerging as the second largest gainer, well ahead of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.



8:35 am:



Trends show lead for BJP and SP in UP



8: 30 am:



Congress leading in early counting in Punjab



March 6, 2012

8:20 am: Counting begins in five states

Early trends show Bahujan Samaj Party is slipping in while the BJP and Congress is gaining in Uttar Pradesh. Early leads in UP: BJP 12, SP 11, Cong 4, BSP 3





----------------------------------

Millions of votes polled in five states in India's biggest popularity test since the 2009 Lok Sabha battle will be counted today with political players keeping their fingers crossed.



The results will decide the fate of candidates in 690 assembly seats -- 403 in UP, 117 seats in Punjab, 70 in Uttarakhand, 60 in Manipur and 40 in Goa.



Here's a look at states that went to vote:



Uttar Pradesh: 403 assembly seats





View photos

Voters in Uttar Pradesh set an all-time record in polling percentage, with officials saying about 60 per cent of its 127 million electorate exercised their franchise in the staggered polling that began February 8.



The 59.16 per cent aggregate polling in the 2012 assembly ballot had surpassed all past records of both Lok Sabha and state elections since the first general election in 1952.



The previous highest vote percentage was 57.13 per cent (1993 assembly elections). The least ever polling was in the simultaneous assembly (39.29 per cent) and Lok Sabha (38.41 per cent) elections of 1951-52.



Exit polls said the Samajwadi Party was most likely to take power in Uttar Pradesh amid a hung assembly.



Three of four exit polls were unanimous that no one party would command a majority in the 403-member state legislature but the Samajwadi would be on top of a mainly four-horse race that began Feb 8.



The exit polls are seen as bad news for the BJP but more so for Congress leading campaigner Rahul Gandhi, who had been expected to put his party on the victory lap in a state where it has been out of power since 1989.



The surveys by India TV-C voter, News 24-Chanakya and Star News-Nielsen gave the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav between 141 and 185 seats, leaving the now ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati at a distant second spot.



The CNN-IBN-The Week-CSDS post poll survey did not give any figures but suggested that 'a Samajwadi wave' could propel it to an outright majority.



Punjab: 117 assembly seats



Politicians in Punjab are readying themselves for counting of votes and results to 117 assembly seats that went to polls January 30.



Punjab saw the turnout of 78.57 per cent, which is an increase of 8.43 per cent over 2007 turnout when it was 72.12 per cent. In Uttarakhand, turnout is 67.89 per cent, which is 6.15 per cent increase over 2007 turnout when it was 63.96 per cent.



Despite claims of impending victory by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance and the Congress, things on the ground remain quite uncertain for both sides as the election took place sans any wave in favour or against anyone.



The guessing game has of course been compounded by the exit polls of various agencies and news channels. While most of them are giving the Congress an edge to form the next government in the state, the Akalis are not willing to give up without a fight yet.



"The exit poll results last time had gone for a toss. The Akali Dal will create history in Punjab by coming to power for a second consecutive term," an upbeat Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the deputy chief minister, said.



Having led the party's campaign from the front this time on his own instead of relying on his chief minister father Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir is expecting 75-80 seats for the Akali Dal-BJP alliance. The Akalis had won 48 seats in the 2007 elections.



The BJP, though, is keeping its fingers crossed about the results. It is the showing of the BJP which could eventually be a deciding factor for the formation of the new government. In the 2007 assembly poll, the BJP had won 19 assembly seats.



Congress leaders are quite upbeat that a government led by state Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh will be in place next week itself. Ministerial aspirants and bureaucrats and officials eyeing key positions have been meeting him regularly.



Uttarakhand: 70 assembly seats



Bright sunshine, and the consequent let up in the cold conditions, resulted in the highest turnout of voters in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, which recorded nearly 70 per cent polling in the state assembly elections.



The otherwise harsh winter had, earlier, become a serious cause of worry for all political parties. Even Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri had openly expressed his fears that this year's unusually high snowfall would render several hilly areas inaccessible.



The BJP regime had taken much beating largely on account of the tremendous rise in corruption levels and poor governance during the chief ministership of Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. While the BJP leadership tried to salvage things by replacing Nishank with a clean Maj Gen (Retd) B.C. Khanduri, it was rather late in the day.



A total of 788 candidates are in the fray for the 70 member assembly in Uttarakhand. A total of 7,500 personnel of central paramilitary forces, besides 10,000 home guard jawans from Uttar Pradesh, 2000 from Himachal Pradesh and 10,000 from Uttarakhand Police have been deployed to ensure free and fair elections in the state.



Manipur: 60 assembly seats



In Manipur, the Congress is likely to retain the power with Ibobi Singh set for a third term in the state. In a 60-member assembly, the Congress is projected to get 24-32 seats. Its 2007 tally was 30.



The Congress is set to return to power in Manipur, according to the post-election survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in association with The Week and CNN-IBN.



The ruling party may win 24-32 seats in the 60-member Assembly.



The People's Democratic Front is expected to fare poorly with 5-11 seats.



The surprise in the state could be the Trinamul Congress, garnering around 7-13 seats.



Only in Manipur, there was a decrease in turnout from 84.83 per cent in 2007 to 79.41 per cent this year.



Repoll in 67 polling stations were held after 10 political parties demanded rejection of proxy votes detected by the election authorities in more than 500 polling stations.



The commission had decided to hold repoll only in 67 polling stations where "serious" malpractice committed as the rejection of the proxy votes was not possible.



Goa: 40 assembly seats



Over 1,600 'loaded' electronic voting machines will reveal which party rules the 10.26 lakh Goans who voted in record numbers for a new government.



In Goa, the turnout is 81 per cent, which is an all time high and is an increase of 14.87 per cent over 2007, when it was 70.51 per cent.



According to poll officials, the new ruling political dispensation in Goa will be decided within two hours of counting at the two counting centres.



"There is no doubt in my mind that this is our mandate. The Congress-NCP's good governance and positive campaign has worked in our favour. The people have come out in a huge number against the BJP's negative campaign," Congress working president Francisco Sardinha told.



The Congress is contesting 33 seats, while its alliance partner has put up the remaining seven candidates in the 40-member assembly.



The BJP has said the overwhelming, record voting percentage was a sign that the people had had enough of misrule by the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance.



Regional parties, however, believe that the heavy-duty campaigning by both the Congress might just fracture the verdict in Goa and are revelling in the prospects of becoming king makers.































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































View photos

View photos

View photos