Several key leaders including UP Deputy CM register defeat in assembly polls

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 10 : With the counting of votes underway for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll, several top leaders lost in the electorally-crucial state.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya lost from Sirathu seat by 7,337 votes. Maurya got 98,941 seats with 43.28 vote share. The Samajwadi Party's winning candidate Pallavi Patel got 1,06,278 votes with 46.49 per cent vote share.
Taking to Twitter, Maurya said, "I humbly accept the decision of the people of Sirathu assembly constituency, grateful for the hard work of each and every worker, I express my gratitude towards the voters who gave blessings in the form of votes."
Samajwadi Party candidate Swami Prasad Maurya, who was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government and resigned from BJP weeks ahead of Assembly polls, lost in Fazilnagar seat. He lost to BJP's Surendra Kumar Kushwaha by 45,014 votes.
"I respect people's mandate. I congratulate all winning candidates. Somebody loses, someone wins elections. These are 2 aspects of democracy. So, we will accept defeat just like we accept victory. We have lost elections, not courage," said Swami Prasad Maurya.
Maurya had quit the BJP in February ahead of assembly elections to join the Samajwadi Party.
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice SP Singh Baghel lost to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Karhal Assembly seat in the Azamgarh district. Yadav won with a margin of 67,504 votes.
Akhilesh got 1,48,196 votes with 60.12 per cent vote share. Baghel came second to the seat with 80,692 votes.
BJP's Vivek Sakya lost in Jaswantnagar by 90,979 votes. The seat is retained by SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Congress candidate Asha Singh, the mother of the Unnao rape victim lost in Unnao constituency. BJP's Pankaj Gupta won the seat by 31,128 seats.
As per the latest trends, BJP won 245 seats and is leading in 11 seats. BJP's alliance partner Apna Dal (Sonelal) got eleven seats and have lead in one seat. Samajwadi Party bagged 100 seats and is leading 10 seats.
Rashtriya Lok Dal, the alliance partner of SP won eight seats while the Congress won two seats. Bahujan Samaj Party is still struggling to open its account.
With the BJP-led alliance set for a thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, it will be the first time in over three decades that an incumbent government will return to power in the electorally crucial state.
The counting of votes began at 8 am and will continue till the final results.