Uttar Pradesh election results live: Parliamentary board says Amit Shah to choose BJP’s chief ministers

The assembly polls are being seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and his reforms, particularly demonetisation.

Track Assembly Election Results 2017

The Election Commission (EC) had set up 78 counting centres in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and issued strict guidelines on security arrangements for counting of votes and has prohibited mobile phones inside the counting halls. A three-tier security perimeter has been created at the counting centres. The election results are available on the Election Commission website www.eci.nic.in/.

Here are the latest updates on election results and trends from counting of votes in the UP assembly elections 2017:

Sunday, 12 March

10.19 pm: BJP’s parliamentary board has authorized party president Amit Shah to decide the chief ministerial nominee in the four states in consultation with party observers of respective states. Read more

9.09 pm: India is transforming, powered by the strength of each and every citizen of India, Modi said in speech Sunday evening. The theme of development ran through his felicitation speech too. “Beyond the emotive issues, political parties fought shy of going to elections on the issue of development. Development is a difficult subject. In these elections, there was a lack of emotive issues, but the huge voter turnout after the campaign based on development shows the transition that his happening towards creation of a new India," he said.

The BJP-led government will take everybody along as “in democracy governments are formed with a majority but run with consensus". Noting that the government has no right to discriminate against anybody, Modi said, “This government is of those who have voted for it and also those who have not. Of those who have walked along, and also of those who have not."

“Everybody will join in the making of a new India," he added.

8.39 pm: Amit Shah says the BJP “will get a bigger mandate" in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Terming the massive win in Uttar Pradesh as approval of the BJP-led NDA’s pro-poor policies, Shah said the party’s victory march will continue in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat—the states that go to polls later this year. Read more

7.32 pm: In democracy, a government is formed on majority but it functions on consensus. our government is for those who were with us and those who were against us:" Modi (PTI)

7.27 pm: “The BJP government is for those who voted for it and those who did not; the government is of everyone": Modi (PTI)

7.23 pm: “We as human beings may commit mistake but we will never do anything with mala fide intentions": Modi (PTI)

7.19 pm: “I want to assure the people of these five states that we will fulfil the promises": Modi (PTI)

7.16 pm: “This is a golden period for BJP and we have reached here with sheer hard work": Narendra Modi. (PTI)

7.15 pm: Burden on the middle class should be reduced so that they can shine, says Modi. (PTI)

7.11 pm: “With every election, support for BJP is increasing across the country and the party’s victory march is moving ahead": PM Narendra Modi

6.59 pm: “We should be humble after the massive victory, and use this as a platform to serve the people": PM Narendra Modi

6.55 pm: “BJP massive election victory has forced political pundits to introspect," says Modi. “Increase in voting a good sign... I see a new India emerging. Results of these five states is the foundation for a new India." (India Today)

6.52 pm: Narendra Modi starts speaking at the BJP headquarters.

6.50 pm: “Results in five states will takes the BJP forward from its historic win in 2014 general elections," says Amit Shah. (PTI)

6.43 pm: Amit Shah addressing the party workers at the headquarters, says PM Narendra Modi is the reason for BJP’s election victory in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. (India Today)

6.33 pm: PM Narendra Modi has reached the BJP headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road. (India Today)

6.27 pm: PM Narendra Modi is leading on foot the BJP’s election victory march from Windsor Palace to the party headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road. (India Today)

6.10 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election victory march begins in New Delhi. (India Today)

6.00 pm: SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav defends son Akhilesh Yadav after the party’s humiliating loss in Uttar Pradesh elections, saying “no one person is responsible for the defeat".

4.47 pm: Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav meet party workers and leaders and asked them to reach out to the people and strengthen the outfit. During the meet, Akhilesh told party workers that Samajwadi Party was not only a party, but an ideology, and that “our struggle will continue." Read more

Track Uttar Pradesh assembly election results

■ 9.40pm: The BJP, along with ally Apna Dal (Soney Lal), bagged nine out of the 12 assembly seats in the Allahabad district, decimating the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, which won on one seat, while the BSP’s tally fell from three to two.

■ 8.40 pm: BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said he is not in the race for Uttar Pradesh chief ministership but will “not run away" if the party entrusts him with any responsibility. (PTI)

■ 8.20 pm: Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav, was among the losers as the saffron tide swept across Uttar Pradesh. Aparna Yadav was defeated by Rita Bahuguna Joshi of the BJP by a margin of 33,796 votes in Lucknow Cantt. (PTI)

■ 7.10 pm: Responding to the allegations raised by BSP chief Mayawati, the Election Commission on Saturday rejected her claims saying that the arguments made were “not legally tenable." The EC in a communication sent to Satish Chandra Mishra, national general secretary of the BSP, reasoned out that EVMs are being used since 2000 in every election and that it has “full confidence" in it.

■ 6.15pm: Akhilesh Yadav resigns as Uttar Pradesh chief minister after Samajwadi Party’s defeat. Governor Ram Naik accepts his resignation.

■ 5.30pm: BJP and allies get two-thirds majority in 403-member UP Assembly; BJP bags 262, Apna Dal(S) 8 and SBSP 4. (PTI)

■ 5.15pm: Thank you. Long live democracy, says PM Narendra Modi in response to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet congratulating BJP on victories in UP and Uttarakhand.

■ 5.15pm: Outgoing UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav speaks on assembly election results. “I hope the next government will work better than SP government," he said. “I accept the verdict of the people, I will do analysis at booth level."

“BJP misled voters. If questions have been raised on EVMs, the government should probe it, says Akhilesh on Mayawati’s allegation of tampering. “Alliance with Congress to continue; We have been benefited by alliance with Congress, says Akhilesh. (PTI)

■ 5pm: Akbarpur seat won by BSP’s Ram Achal Rajbhar. The BSP candidate got 72,325 votes against SP rival Ram Murti Verma’s 58,312 votes. BJP’s Chandra Prakash Verma polled 57,821.

■ 4.50pm: UP chief minister will be selected on the basis of merit, says BJP president Amit Shah.

■ 4.45pm: Shamli seat won by BJP’s Tejendra Nirwal from rival Congress’ Pankaj Kumar Malik. Nirwal got 70,085 votes, while Malik just managed 40,365. RLD’s Bijendra Singh at third position garnered 33,551. BSP’s Mohammad Islam managed 17,114 at fifth position.

Sultanpur seat won by BJP’s Surya Bhan Singh against rival BSP’s Mujeeb Ahmad. Singh got 86,786 votes against Ahmad’s 54,393. SP’s Anoop Sanda at third position got 53238 votes.

Noida seat won by BJP’s Pankaj Singh. Singh, the son of Union home minister Rajnath Singh got 162417 votes against rival SP candidate Sunil Choudhary’s 58401 votes. BSP’s Ravikant garnered 27,365 votes.

■ 4.36pm: The BJP has won 216 seats and is leading in another 93, while the Samajwadi Party has won or is leading in 49.

■ 4.20pm: PM Narendra Modi: I am overjoyed that BJP has received unprecedented support from all sections of society. Huge support from the youth is gladdening. I thank people of UP from bottom of my heart. This historic victory of BJP is for development and good governance.(PTI)

■ 4.10pm: This is very humbling and overwhelming, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi on poll victory. Gratitude to the people of India for the continued faith, support and affection for the BJP. (PTI)

■ 4pm: BJP Parliamentary Board to meet tomorrow evening, to be preceded by felicitation of Prime Minister Modi: Amit Shah

UP poll outcome will change the course of country’s politics. It will leave behind politics of caste, religion and nepotism: Shah

■ 3.45pm: BJP president addresses a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi. Highlights of his press briefing:

— The outcome of five assembly polls is very encouraging. Despite defeat in Punjab, our alliance has got over 30% votes. (PTI)

— It is the biggest electoral victory in independent India: Shah on BJP’s strong showing in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. (PTI)

— I can understand her state of mind: Shah on BSP leader’s Mayawati’s allegations on EVM rigging. (PTI)

■ 3.30pm: The EC website has declared 149 results. Here is the partwise position so far: BJP—114, SP—22, BSP—5, Congress—3, Apna Dal (Soneylal)—3, RLD—1, Independent—1.

■ 3pm: Hamirput seat won by BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh Chandel. The BJP candidate secured over 110,000 votes against SP rival Dr Manoj Kumar Prajapati, who managed 62,233 votes. BSP’s Sanjeev Kumar gets 6,054.

■ 2.45pm: The Uttar Pradesh election results not only underline Rahul Gandhi’s failure, but also that of Priyanka Gandhi who was part of the poll strategy, Union minister Smriti Irani said.

The Union Textile Minister said that she would like to ask the Congress vice president in “Akhilesh style" that “khao ganga maa ki kasam aur batao UP ko kiska saath pasand hai" (Swear in the name of mother Ganga and say whom does Uttar Pradesh like).

“In our party merit wins over dynasty. This is one political organisation which has made a humble citizen as the prime minister of the country. This victory is the victory of the Modi government and its policies," Irani added.

■ 1.50pm: UP results surprising, seems EVMs did not accept any vote other than that of BJP’s, says BSP supremo Mayawati.

Press any button, vote goes to BJP, charges Mayawati after trends show her party finishing a poor third.

Mayawati dares PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to ask EC to hold polls in UP using traditional ballot papers if they are “honest". (PTI)

■ 1.45pm: According to trends and results available after five hours of counting of votes in the Assembly polls in the five states, the BJP, which did not have a chief ministerial face in UP, was ahead in 296 out of 403 constituencies in a stunning showing which party leaders credited to a ‘Modi wave’. The BJP together with its allies Apna Dal (Soneylal Patel) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) were leading in 305 seats.

The BJP, which had just 47 seats in the outgoing Assembly, garnered 40% vote share, in the most riveting contest seen as a gamechanger and a virtual referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and demonetisation. The party also went to the elections without fielding any Muslim candidate.

The nascent SP-Congress coalition was ahead in 64 seats while Mayawati’s BSP was a distant third leading only in 20 places. The SP, whose campaign was spearheaded by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on development agenda, led in 55 seats.

■ 1.40pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says historic UP win is a crushing reply to those who opposed demonetisation.

■ 1.30pm: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his welfare schemes and “able leadership" as trends suggested a big win for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is God’s blessing for the country and people have tremendous faith in his welfare schemes," Chouhan said in a series of tweets this morning after early trends suggested that BJP was on its way to form the government in UP after a hiatus of 15 years.

The BJP and its allies have marched ahead in 305 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh as per latest trends from all the 403 seats. (PTI)

■ 1.20pm: Trends show SP’s Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam leading in Rampur and Suar seats. (PTI)

■ 1.15pm: With the Congress staring at a drubbing in Uttar Pradesh, the grand old party on Friday admitted that “the bad loss hurts" and said it needs to do “fundamental restructuring" in the state, calling for hard decisions.

“Yes, UP is a bad loss, it hurts...I agree that, in UP, we need fundamental restructuring thinking for the Congress as a whole. These have to be hard, tough decisions about strategy," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

“We are forming government in Punjab...In Goa, the BJP is not in position to form government. There is a possibility that we may form government there," the former Union Minister said. (PTI)

■ 1pm: The BJP and its allies appear poised to sweep all the five assembly segments which together form Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency as well as the three adjoining ones falling in the district.

As per trends available till noon, the BJP is leading by a comfortable margin in all the three urban seats it had won in 2012 —Varanasi Cantt, Varanasi South and Varanasi North. Modi had camped in his constituency for three days, held roadshows and addressed several rallies to reach out to voters in the district.

The BJP’s allies Apna Dal (Soney Lal) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party too have respectively established handsome leads in Sevapuri, which falls under Varanasi, and Ajagara, which comes under Chandauli. (PTI)

■ 12.50pm: “It is a victory of BJP’s ideology and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pro-poor and development policies," BJP chief Amit Shah on assembly poll results. (PTI)

■ 12.40pm: “This is a big victory. BJP has reached new heights in Uttarkhand and Uttar Pradesh and changed the political picture of the country," Union home minister Rajnath Singh. (PTI)

Also read | Assembly elections 2017: The winners and losers

■ 12.30pm: BJP, allies ahead in 305 constituencies as per trends from 403 UP Assembly seats. (PTI)

■ 12.10 pm: BJP surges ahead in 290 of the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh, with its main rival the SP-Congress coalition too far behind with 69 leads. BSP trailed far behind with leads in only 19 places.

■ 11.45am: Minister Yasir Shah was leading in Matera (Bahraich), while minister Rahguraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was ahead in Kunda.

Jitin Prasada (Congress) was leading in Tilhar (Shahjahanpur).

SP leader Shivpal Yadav was leading by over 11,000 votes in Jaswant Nagar (Etawah) over his nearest rival Manish Yadav Batre of BJP.

Minister Azam Khan was leading in Rampur. Trends show BJP’s Suresh Rana was trailing in Thana Bhawan seat in Shamli.

Sangeet Som (BJP) was leading in Sardhana in Meerut. Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari (BSP) was leading by a narrow margin in Mau, while his son Abbas and brother Sigbatullah were trailing in Ghosi and Mohammadabad seats respectively.

■ 11.30am: Voter in Uttar Pradesh has risen above caste for the first time: Jitendra Singh, MoS in PMO. (Doordarshan News)

Gayatri Prajapati, who is absconding after the UP Police booked him in an alleged gangrape case and attempt to rape a minor, was trailing in Amethi, where Garima Singh (BJP), the first wife of Congress leader Sanjay Sinh, was leading. Ameeta Singh (Cong), the present wife of Sanjay Sinh was also trailing.

In Noida, Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh was leading.(PTI)

■ 11.15am: BJP leaders on Friday credited ‘Modi wave’ for the party’s strong showing in the high stakes Uttar Pradesh elections. On the next chief minister in the state, they said the decision will be taken by the BJP parliamentary board and the legislature party in the state soon.

The results of the elections, which were fought under party chief Amit Shah, show that the BJP has been able to dispel the perception of being a party of upper castes only as now it commands the support of all sections of the society, including Dalits, they said.

“It is a Modi wave. The wave which started with 2014 Lok Sabha elections is continuing in 2017 and the momentum will go beyond the 2019 general elections," BJP Uttar Pradesh chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

“The credit goes to Prime Minister Modi, his government’s pro-poor policies and party chief Amit Shah’s strategy. People have fought the elections on our behalf in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and results have vindicated their faith in us," party general secretary Kailash Vijaywargia said.

Another BJP general secretary O P Mathur, who is in- charge of party affairs in Uttar Pradesh, said the state has become “Modi-fied" and so has the country. (PTI)

■ 11.10am: UP election results show that Narendra Modi has done a good job of convincing the voters in India’s most populous state that demonetisation was a good move. Read more in: The BJP’s UP surge: Didn’t demonetisation matter?

■ 11am: Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari (BSP), son Abbas and brother Sigbatullah trailing in Mau, Ghosi and Mohammadabad seats respectively. (PTI)

Trends show BJP’s Suresh Rana trailing BSP’s Abdul Waris Khan in Thana Bhawan seat in Shamli by over 5000 votes. (PTI)

Trends show BJP’s Sangeet Singh Som is ahead of his nearest SP rival Atul Pradhan by a margin of 8,359 votes in Sardhana seat. (PTI)

■ 10.45am: BJP leading in 304 seats, SP-Congress in 69 seats, and BSP is leading in 20 seats. (CNN-News18)

Congress’ Jitin Prasada leads from Tilhar constituency. BJP’s Pranav Singh from Khanpur seat leading.

■ 10.30am: BJP, allies ahead in 230 constituencies as per trends from 313 of 403 Assembly seats. (PTI)

UP Assembly: BJP leading in Ramnagar (Barabanki) and Ayodhya seats. Ministers Arvind Singh Gope and Tej Narain alias Pawan Pandey trailing. (PTI)

■ 10.15am: Election trends on CNN-News18 for 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh shows BJP is leading in 294 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 79 seats, BSP is leading in 21 seats.

■ 10.05am: SP leader Shivpal Yadav leading by 5,742 votes in Jaswant Nagar (Etawah) over his nearest rival Manish Yadav Batre of BJP. (PTI)

BJP’s Suresh Rana leading in Thana Bhawan seat in Shamli. (PTI)

Uma Shankar Singh (BSP) leading from Rasra, Ballia.

BJP leading in all 9 seats in Gorakhpur district.

■ 9.50am: Election trends on CNN-News18 for 390 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh shows BJP is leading in 273 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 79 seats, BSP is leading in 26 seats.

■ 9.45am: Trends show SP leader Shivpal Yadav trailing behind Manish Yadav Batre of BJP in Jaswant Nagar (Etawah) by 65 votes. (PTI)

Home minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh leading in Noida. (PTI)

Trends show minister Azam Khan leading in Rampur, Aditi Singh of Congress leading in Raebareli. (PTI)

UP Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey (SP) trailing in Itwa (Siddharth Nagar), BJP leading in the seat. (PTI)

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav trails Rita Joshi (BJP) in Lucknow Cant seat. (PTI)

■ 9.35am: BJP ahead in 200 constituencies as per trends from 300 out of 403 UP Assembly seats. SP-Cong combine ahead in 50 seats and BSP in 30, trends from 300 out of 403 UP Assembly seats show. (PTI)

Rape accused UP minister Gayatri Prajapati leading in Amethi. Rahguraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya ahead in Kunda. (PTI)

SP’s Shivpal Singh Yadav trailing in Jaswant Nagar Seat.

■ 9.20am: Election trends on CNN-News18 for 300 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh shows BJP is leading in 204 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 53 seats, BSP is leading in 31 seats.

■ 9.00am: Election trends on CNN-News18 for 178 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh shows BJP is leading in 122 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 28 seats, BSP is leading in 21 seats.

A look at major contestants: SP’s Azam Khan leading in Rampur. SP’s Gayatri Prajapati leading in Amethi. Aparna Yadav, the wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son Prateek is trailing in Lucknow Cantt.

■ 8.45am: Election trends posted by CNN-News18 for 88 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh suggests BJP is leading in 57 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 15 seats, BSP is leading in 12 seats.

■ 8.30am: Initial election trends posted by CNN-News18 for 43 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh suggests BJP is leading in 24 seats, while SP-Congress alliance is leading in 11 seats, BSP is leading in 5 seats.

■ 8.00am: The counting of votes began at 8am for the 403 Assembly seats in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh that went to polls in seven phases. Postal ballots were being counted first and initial trends are expected to be in by 9am.

A total of 78 counting centres have been set up in the state. In three districts of Amethi, Azamgarh and Kushinagar two counting centres each have been set up and in the remaining 72 district, counting will be held at one place.

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