 "Jubilation at UP BJP headquarters, gloom at offices of opposition parties")
The excitement at the Uttar Pradesh BJP headquarters here was palpable with the party workers dancing to popular tunes and throwing gulal at each other as every round of counting of votes confirmed that the party was set to retain power in the state.
On the other hand, there was not much euphoria at the offices of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and other opposition parties.
Bulldozers -- real as well as miniature versions -- were at the centrestage of the celebrations at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office.
Enthusiastic party workers climbed atop a bulldozer and waved the BJP flag on the busy Vidhan Sabha Marg to celebrate the victory. Some of them were also seen dancing to popular tunes.
At the BJP office, which is located across the road, opposite to the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Bhavan, the festival of Holi arrived early with the party workers throwing saffron gulal in the air and on each other.
The centre of attraction was Sumant Kashyap from the Lucknow Central constituency, who had a toy bulldozer tied to his head and who operated it using a remote.
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"The bulldozer was absent from the roads as it had gone for maintenance. Now, it will be back soon," Kashyap said with a broad smile on his face as his fellow party workers shouted "Modi-Yogi zindabad".
The party workers were seen distributing sweets, while some were glued to the giant screens put up by various television channels on Vidhan Sabha Marg to know the real picture emerging from the high-stakes election.
Some party workers burst firecrackers to celebrate the victory, while some were seen blowing a conch shell. Chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" reverberated in the air.
The excitement quotient was low outside the SP office on Vikramaditya Marg, even as the party workers were expecting a last-minute miracle.
"The counting of votes is still going on and we are hoping for the best," said SP worker Raju Yadav.
None of the senior Congress leaders was seen at the state party headquarters. Anokhelal Tiwari (53), a long-time flag-bearer of the party, was feeling rather disappointed as the party's performance according to him was not up to the mark.
Putting up a brave face, he said, "Priyanka didi did extensive campaigning for the party, but it could not perform well. However, it will perform better in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and spring a surprise."
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spearheaded the party's poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
The mood at the offices of Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party -- both allies of the BJP -- was upbeat.
Senior leader of Apna Dal (Sonelal) Ashish Patel was at the party office in Lucknow's Mall Avenue, keeping a watch on the trends.
He was also in touch with leaders and workers from all over the state, taking feedback from them about the performance of the party candidates.
Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad interacted with the party workers in various constituencies from the party office, taking their feedback about the party's performance.
Talking to reporters, he said the welfare schemes of the Centre and the state government have given positive results for the party.
The mood at the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) office was not upbeat and the party workers did not conceal their disappointment as the election results started to pour in.
The RLD contested the election in an alliance with the SP.