UP by-poll result LIVE: Akhilesh thanks Mayawati for Gorakhpur, Phulpur

Lok Sabha by-elections 2018 in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Bihar's Araria being viewed as yet another test for BJP ahead of 2019 general elections

Election officials count votes at a counting center after Phulpur by-poll elections in Allahabad

In a major blow to the BJP, the Samajwadi Party, backed by its otherwise bitter foe BSP, wrested the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Samajwadi Party candidate Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel defeated his nearest Bharatiya Janata Party rival Kaushlendra Singh Patel by 59,613 votes, leading to noisy celebrations and calls for opposition unity across the nation to defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha battle.

The results were announced after 31 rounds of counting.

The Bahujan Samaj Party had extended support to the Samajwadi Party in a bid to avoid a split in opposition vote.

Amid beating of drums and distribution of sweets, the victorious Nagendra Patel not only thanked the people of Phulpur for his victory but said he also had the blessings of 'behenji' Mayawati along with his own leader Akhilesh Yadav.

Mafia don-turned-politician Ateeq Ahmad, contesting as an Independent from inside the jail, won 33,818 votes in Phulpur while Manish Mishra (Congress) got 11,934 votes.

Yogi Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats respectively after being elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

As the vote count moved towards the final rounds, Samajwadi Party's Praveen Nishad had secured 334,463 votes in Gorakhpur, with the BJP's Upendra Dutt Shukla at the second spot with 308,593 votes. One official said Nishad had won.

The setback comes as a huge shocker to the year-old BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, where Adityanath has represented Gorakhpur in the Lok Sabha seat for five consecutive times.

Both the Lok Sabha constituencies voted on Sunday.

"This is a rejection of both (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Yogi (Adityanath)," Samajwadi Party spokesman Anurag Bhaudauria told IANS.

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8:12 PM

6:28 PM

"Election results in Uttar Pradesh always send out larger political messages," says Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav

6:05 PM

5:42 PM

We failed to understand the significance of SP-BSP alliance: Yogi Adityanath

5:35 PM

We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidates: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

5:29 PM

5:28 PM

Polling percentage has gone down which affected the result of the two seats. We will analyse and work on the places where we lacked and will work harder & perform better in the 2019 elections: Mahendra Nath Pandey, UP BJP Chief on UP bypoll results

5:28 PM

Congress candidates from Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats have lost their deposits.

5:15 PM

5:14 PM

Bihar has given sympathy vote this time. I'd like to thank all those who've supported us. We welcome the mandate of people. We will certainly win the elections of 2019 under the leadership of PM Modi & BJP President Amit Shah: Nityanand Rai, BJP Bihar President

5:04 PM

Samajwadi Party's Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel wins Phulpur Lok Sabha seat by 59,613 votes

4:51 PM

BJP should stop working for its face value & instead put in efforts to work for the people. That's the only way in which they can improve or else they will face the same result in the 2019 elections as they have in this bypoll: Jitan Ram Manjhi on Bihar by-poll results.

4:44 PM

4:37 PM

Araria Lok Sabha by-poll: RJD leading by 57791 with 4,46,179 votes, BJP trailing with 3,88,388 votes after 22nd round of counting.

4:36 PM

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First Published: Mar 14 2018 | 6:19 PM IST