UP set for change, Beni Prasad Verma pitches for post poll alliance with BSP

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh is set for a change of government, according to exit polls which have predicted a rout for Chief Minister Mayawati, triggering reactions from political parties with Union Minister and Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma pitching for a post-poll alliance with BSP.

However, neither the predicted winners nor those projected not to be doing well have accepted the exit polls in full with each contesting the findings.

Verma's views have been rejected as personal by Congress leaders including Pramod Tiwari, UP Congress Legislature Party chief, and party General Secretary Rashid Alvi.

Akhilesh Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is believed to have been the main campaigner in revival of fortunes of SP, expressed confidence that his party will get majority on its own and may not need Congress' support to form a government.

He also said his father would be the chief minister in case the party gets to form the government. He, however, parried questions on seeking support of Congress or Rahul Gandhi in case it falls short of numbers, maintaining that it all depends on the poll results.

The exit polls conducted by TV channels have projected SP in the lead in a hung house while one channel has given Yadav's party a clear majority by predicting that it may get upto 210 seats in an assembly of 403 in UP.

Star News-AC Neilson exit poll showed SP emerging as the single largest party with 183 seats, followed by BSP with 83 seats.

According to it, BJP would win 71 seats, Congress 51 and its ally RLD 11 seats. Independents and others are shown victorious in two seats each.