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.
