Counting of votes is underway for the elections to the 18th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. In the initial trends of UP, BJP has got a majority. BJP has crossed 201 seats, SP is on 89. BJP is ahead in Purvanchal and Awadh, in western Uttar Pradesh it is facing tough competition from SP.
While exit polls have anticipated a victory for the ‘double-engine’ government of BJP, the state has not reimbursed a government to power since 1985. SP in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal put up a vicious fight, drawing support from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
According to Poll of Polls, BJP can get around 250 seats this time. Yogi Adityanath is contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections for the first time. He is a candidate from the Gorakhpur Sadar seat. SP president Akhilesh Yadav is the candidate from the Karhal seat in the Mainpuri district. UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya Sirathu and Swami Prasad Maurya, who left BJP and joined SP, are candidates from the Fazilnagar seat of Kushinagar district.
