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ELECTIONS '96

BJP makes major gains in UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Janata Party have won one seat each in Uttar Pradesh so far.

The latest trends showed that the ruling BJP was leading in 40 out of the 50 constituencies, including Lucknow, where party's prime ministerial candidate Atal Bihari Vajpayee is contesting. The Samajwadi Party is ahead in six seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party is leading in two constituencies and the Congress and the BJP-supported independent candidate in one each.

While BJP's Bachchi Singh Rawat captured the Almora seat, SJP candidate and former prime minister Chandra Shekhar retained the Ballia constituency. He won the seat for the sixth time. The former prime minister defeated BJP's Ram Krishan Mishra in a 12-cornered contest by 28,251 votes. He won the last election by over 1.86 lakh votes.

Chandra Shekhar had won all the Lok Sabha elections from Ballia since 1977, except in 1984.

Former BJP chief Murli Manohar Joshi (Allahabad), Major-Gen Bhuvan Singh Khanduri (Garhwal) and Uttar Pradesh Minister Ashok Yadav (Mainpuri) are among the prominent BJP leaders who had maintained early lead. Besides, the BJP-supported Maneka Gandhi is leading by 24,000 votes in the Pilibhit constituency.

While BSP supremo Kanshi Ram is trailing, the party's Naqli Singh and Mayawati are leading in Saharanpur and Akbarpur (SC) seats respectively.

Akbar Ahmed Dumpy (BSP), once a close associate of the late Sanjay Gandhi, is leading in Azamgarh, against SP's Ramakant Yadav.

Begum Noor Bano is the only Congress candidate who is maintaining a lead in the state. She is contesting from Rampur. Prominent Congress leader Salman Khurshid is trailing in Farrukhabad.

Former external affairs minister Salim Sherwani (Budaun), Jang Bahadur Patel (Phoolpur) and Parasnath Mourya (Jaunpur) are prominent SP leaders who are leading in their respective constituencies.

The BJP is also leading in Rae Bareli, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Basti, Khurja, Kanpur, Aonla, Hardoi, Etah, Etawah and Varanasi.

UNI

Elections '98

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