Updated

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to retain power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a landslide victory in Punjab.

The AAP is the first regional party which will form a government in another state apart from New Delhi.

According to the Election Commission's counting update at 8 p.m., the ruling party BJP has won 171 seats in Uttar Pradesh and is leading in 82 Assembly constituencies, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) has won 63 seats and is leading in 50 constituencies.

Rashtriya Lok Dal, which contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in alliance with the SP, has won seven seats so far and is leading in one constituency, whereas the BJP's ally Apana Dal (Sonelal) has won six seats and is leading in five constituencies.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is limited to just one seat from where it is leading so far.

The Congress has won only two seats while the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) has managed two seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The state-level Nishad Party (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) won two seats and is leading in five constituencies, whereas another local party, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, won two seats and is leading in four constituencies.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP has won 40 seats and is leading in seven others, while the Congress has managed only 16 seats and is leading in three constituencies.

The BSP won a single seat in the state and leads in one constituency, whereas one Independent candidate has won and another is leading in Uttarakhand till 8 p.m.

The final election tally of Punjab has come and the AAP has secured a landslide victory with a thumping majority of 92 seats. The BJP has won just two seats, Congress 18, BSP one, Shiromani Akali Dal three while one seat went to an Independent candidate.

In Goa, the ruling BJP is short of the majority mark by just one seat as it bagged 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly.

The Congress has been confined to 11 seats, AAP won two seats, Goa Forward Party one, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party two, Revolutionary Goans Party won one, while three seats were won by Independent candidates.

In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the ruling BJP retained power by winning 32 seats, while the Congress could bag only five seats.

Surprisingly, the Janata Dal(United) won six seats in Manipur, whereas the Kuki People's Alliance won two, Naga People's Front five, National People's Party six and three seats went to Independent candidates.

Election results LIVE Updates

Trends

Uttar Pradesh (403; target 202)
BJP - 255
SP - 111
BSP - 1
Cong - 2
Others - 34

Punjab (117; target 59)
AAP - 92
Cong - 18
SAD - 3
BJP - 2
Others - 2

Goa (40; target 21)
BJP - 20
Cong - 11
MAG - 2
AAP - 2
Others - 5

Uttarakhand (70; target 36)
BJP - 47
Cong - 19
AAP - 0
Others - 4

Manipur (60; target 31)
BJP - 32
NPP - 7
Cong - 5
Others - 16

Earlier report

The stage is finally set for counting of votes for the assembly elections 2022 in the crucial states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur with many top political parties making claims of their victory.

It is a high-stakes election in Uttar Pradesh for the BJP and the Modi government as the state sends the highest number of 80 MPs to Lok Sabha and the party's performance is expected to have a bearing on the next general election slated for 2024.

Several exit polls have forecast a clear majority for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, while predicting a hung assembly in Goa and a tight race between the BJP and the Congress in Uttarakhand. Except for Punjab, all other states were under the BJP.