Elections 2012: SP leading in 196 seats in UP

Samajwadi Party is leading in 196 seats in Uttar Pradesh but is still short of the majority magic figure to form the government in the 403-member House.

The party needs a figure of 202 seats in the House to form the government. BSP, which won majority in the 2007 assembly polls with 206 seats, is leading in 97 seats while the Congress-RLD combine is leading in 51 and BJP in 49. Others are ahead in 11.

Expressing gratitude towards the electorate, SP state president Akhilesh Yadav said the party was expecting to gain majority in the state. "We are grateful to the people...they believed whatever the SP said," he said, adding that promises made in the party manifesto would be implemented. On the question of meeting of MLAs, he said it would be decided by netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav).

On 'goondaraj', Akhilesh said that whosoever indulges in such activities would be removed from the party and stern action would be taken. Meanwhile, Peace Party, which as per the trends is likely to won a couple of seats with its allies, said that it would help in formation of the government. "Whichever party will form the government we will help in its formation. If SP is in a position to form the government we will take a positive stand,"

Peace Party national general secretary M J Khan said. Among prominent candidates BJP vice-president Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow East, Uma Bharati in Charkhari, Shivpal Singh Yadav in Jaswantnagar, Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi were leading, whereas BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi in Pathardeva and Vidhan Sabha speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar were trailing.