New Delhi (dpa) – Election officials in India began counting votes Tuesday in five states where assembly elections have been held. The elections were held in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa between early February and Sunday. The local elections are being seen as a litmus test for the country's main parties – the Congress Party which leads the federal coalition government and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – ahead of the general elections in 2014. Early trends in the populous Uttar Pradesh, a key state which sends 85 lawmakers to the 543-seat national Parliament, saw the regional Samajwadi Party leading with the Hindu right-wing BJP in second position. The trends indicated a rout for the incumbent Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Chief Minister Mayawati. The BSP claims to represent Dalits or lower castes. The Congress Party looked to fare poorly in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi, tipped to be the party's next prime ministerial candidate, had led the campaign. The Congress party was also trailing in the hill state of Uttarakhand, in Punjab and in Goa. It was leading in Manipur where it is the incumbent party. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/u5xer Tags: Election, India, Uttar Pradesh, Vote Section: Latest News, South Asia
