India: SP storms to power in Uttar Pradesh; Akali-BJP retain Punjab

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Riding an anti-incumbency wave, the Samajwadi Party today stormed to power in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dislodging Ms Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party while the ruling the Akali Dal-BJP combine sprang a surprise retaining power in Punjab, another northern state. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged the western state of Goa ousting Congress which managed to hold on to power in northeastern Manipur state for a third successive term. In northern Uttarakhand, the fifth state that went to polls during January-March results for which were announced today, the outcome was a cliff-hanger of a contest with the Congress emerging the single largest party at 32 having a wafer thin lead over ruling BJP's 31. The state legislature has 70 seats. The Samajwadi Party announced that party president Mulayam Singh would be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh while Akali Dal said it would be Prakash Singh Badal in Punjab. In the battle in Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh-led SP knocked out BSP by winning 160 seats and leading in 61 others in the 403-member House. The ruling party was reduced to 80 seats from 206 it had in outgoing House. The BSP has so far won 52 seats and was ahead in 27 seats. The Samajwadi Party had won 97 seats in the 2007 elections. The BJP barely managed to repeat its 2007 performance. It has won 34 seats and was ahead in 16 others. It had won 51 seats in 2007 elections. Equally dismal was the performance of Congress, which sought to make big strides with spirited campaign by Rahul Gandhi, winning only 19 seats and leading in nine. The party had won 22 seats in the last elections. The shock for Congress came from Punjab, which it was widely expected to wrest from Akali Dal-BJP combine. The ruling coalition has won 68 seats, nine more than required simple majority in a house with a total strength of 117. In all, the combine has registered a net loss of one seat from 2007 results. But the break up shows that Akali Dal has gone up from 50 to 56 seats while the BJP lost seven seats from 19 to win only 12 now. The Congress won 46 seats, a gain of four from last elections. The sole relief for Congress came from Manipur where the party registered a spectacular success winning 35 seats in a House of 60 and was leading in seven others. The Trinamool Congress, which is set to become the principal opposition, has won seven seats. The party lost its government in Goa to BJP which has won 19 seats in the 40-member House and was ahead in one while its ally has won three seats. The ruling Congress put up a dismal performance bagging nine seats against 16 it won in the previous elections. The BJP had won 14 seats in the last elections. 'Others' accounted for seven seats in Goa. Uttarakhand witnessed a see-saw battle in which the leads shifted continuously. At 1800 Hrs local time, it was the Congress which had a wafer thin lead of one over the BJP. The Congress won 19 seats and was ahead in 13 while the ruling BJP won 24 and was ahead in seven. PTI