Samajwadi Party was way ahead of others in Uttar Pradesh leading in 141 seats while BJP sprang a surprise as it was leading in 65 constituencies in the 403 member Assembly.
Ruling BSP was left way behind leading only in 62 seats while Congress-RLD combine managed to lead only in 42 constituencies.
As per the trends available for 323 seats at 10 AM, SP was leading in 141 seats.
Among the key constituencies where SP was ahead were Amethi and Rae Bareli, bastion of Nehru-Gandhi family.
Among prominent candidates BJP national vice-president Kalraj Mishra, Uma Bharti, SP's Shivpal Singh Yadav, Raja Bhaiyya of SP and BSP state president Swami Prasad Maurya were leading. BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi and Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi were trailing.
Former Assembly Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi is also leading.
Congress faces an uphill task in reviving its fortunes in the Mayawati-ruled Uttar Pradesh where its campaign was led from the front by Rahul Gandhi.
Congress is contesting 357 seats in the state out of 403 seats where it won 22 seats in the 2007 state polls.
The ruling BSP, which won 206 in last elections, in UP has contested all 403 seats, SP 402, BJP 398 and RLD 46. Exit polls have predicted a hung assembly in the state with the SP showed as cornering the major chunk of seats.
In 2007 polls, SP had got 97 seats, BJP 50 and RLD, which contested in alliance with BJP won 10 seats. Independents and others had got 17 seats.
