Politics of corruption, ill-governance will now end in UP: Rita Bahuguna

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi today expressed her delight over the early trends that indicate the saffron party's lead in Uttar Pradesh and said the politics of corruption and ill-governance will soon come to an end.

"The trends will hardly reverse. We expected this but it is better that we are winning with three-fourth majority," Joshi told ANI.

Joshi further said the saffron party has received an overwhelming support from the people of Uttar Pradesh and thus the party would fulfil all its responsibilities.

Resonating similar views, BJP leader Poonam Mahajan said it is the victory of the people and their trust.

"The people have decided to support the BJP and it is the victory of the people and their trust. We will live up to the expectations and trust of the people," Mahajan told ANI in New Delhi.

The counting of votes has begun to elect a new assembly in Uttar Pradesh, one of the world's largest poll exercises that is being billed as a virtual semi-final to general elections in two years.

The stakes are high for almost 5,000 candidates across 403 seats in India's most-populous state.

The early trends show the BJP ahead of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Below are the latest updates:

• BJP-274, SP+ 79, BSP-25, Others-12

• BJP leading on five seats of Lucknow

• Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan's son Abdullah trailing from Swar, Rampur

• Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav trailing from Lucknow Cantonment seat

• Uttar Pradesh ministers Azam Khan from Rampur and Gayatri Prajapati from Amethi are leading.