Bjp Likely To Fall Short Of Majority

Uttar Pradesh's fourth assembly in seven years may prove more unsettled than the other three. The BJP, though ahead of its rivals, will most likely fall short of a majority. It was leading in 137 of the 314 constituencies for which trends were available at midnight. Counting was under way for 419 of the assembly's 425 seats.

The BSP-Congress alliance, with 89 leads, was ahead of the United Front, with 82 (others were leading in six constituencies). Though BJP leaders were determined to try and cobble a majority for Kalyan Singh, BSP leader Mayawati seemed most likely to be back in the Chief Minister's chair after a year's President's rule.

Even if the UF were to inch ahead of the BSP-Congress alliance, Mayawati is adamantly against allowing a government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, the UF's nominee. The UF, on the other hand, is under pressure from the Congress. Its new tough-talking chief, Sitaram Kesri, has made his party's continued support for the central government contingent on UF support for a BSP-Congress government in UP.

The BJP was leading in most seats in the hill districts.