BSP candidates take lead in 3 Assembly, 1 LS seats in UP

Lucknow, Apr 16 (UNI) Ruling Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) candidates have taken initial lead against their opponents in all the three assembly seats and in Khalilabad Lok Sabha seat where counting started this morning.

In Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat, the Samajwadi Party candidate was leading by a slender margin of only 50 votes.

By-elections for two Lok Sabha and three assembly seats were held on April 12 on a peaceful note.

In Khalilabad LS seat, BSP candidate was leading by over 1000 votes after first round of counting.

In the Assembly seats, in Bilgram, BSP candidate was leading by 6600 votes, in Colonelganj seat BSP leading by over 3300 votes and in Muradnagar seat the ruling party candidate was ahead by 1298 votes after first round of counting.

The results of the by-elections would certainly have an impact on the political scenario of the state before the coming Lok Sabha polls with ruling BSP, SP, BJP and Congress had infused all their strength to woo the electorate.

Election office sources here today said three observers each for the two LS seat and two observers each for the three assembly seats have been deployed to monitor the counting process.

''In each counting table, one employee of the central government would be ensured through random selection,'' sources said.

The results of all the seats are expected late in the afternoon.

The counting of votes for Khalilabad Lok Sabha seat was underway two places-- Basti and Sant Kabirnagar district headquarters.

The bypoll to two parliamentary constituencies was necessitated after Ramakant Yadav, sitting MP from Azamgarh, and Bhalchand, the sitting MP from Khalilabad were disqualified under 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

By-elections for Colonelganj and Muradnagar assembly seats was necessitated following the resignation of Congress and Independent MLAs holding the seats, while in Bilgram assembly constituency, the bypoll took place after death of BSP member Upendra Tiwari.

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