<p>While the SP suffered major losses and BSP supremo Mayawati’s hopes to occupy the top post came a cropper, the BJP’s alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal failed to deliver. At the same time, the Congress rose from ruins to make handsome gains in the state.<br /><br />Although official figures were not available, according to reliable sources, the SP bagged 22 seats, down 13 from its 2004 tally of 35. The BSP won 21 seats-up two from its tally of 19 seats in 2004.<br /><br />The Congress bagged as many as 21 seats, which was up 12 from its tally of nine seats in the previous general elections while the BJP-RLD combine emerged victorious in 15 seats (10 BJP, 5 RLD). In the last polls, BJP had won the same number of seats.<br /><br />Prominent Congress candidates who won the polls included Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who beat her nearest rival by over 3.72 lakh votes in Raebareli and Rahul Gandhi, who defeated his nearest BSP rival by over 3.70 lakh votes in Amethi.<br /><br />Among other notable Congress winners are Union Ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jitin Prasad, former Union Minister Sanjay Singh, former India captain Mohammad Aharuddin, former UPCC chief Salman Khursheed and P L Punia, former principal secretary to UP chief minister Mayawati. Prominent SP leaders, who made it to the 15th Lok Sabha included party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav and film actress Jaya Prada, who won by over 31,000 votes from Rampur.<br /><br />For the BJP, the prominent winners included party chief Rajnath Singh, former union ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and Maneka Gandhi, senior party leader Lalji Tandon and Varun Gandhi, who bagged the Pilibhit seat by over 2.80 lakh votes.<br /><br />Prominent losers included former Union Minister and Congress nominee Mahaveer Prasad, UPCC president Reeta Bahuguna Joshi, BJP leader Vinay Katiyar and former prime minister V P Singh’s son Ajeya Singh.<br /><br />Mafia dons and brothers Mukhtar Ansari and Afzal Ansari, both BSP nominees, lost elections from Varanasi and Ghazipur respectively.<br /><br />Although the SP was expected to lose seats, its leaders had not anticipated such a huge loss. <br /><br />On the other hand, the BSP was expecting major gains to be able to project its supremo as a prime ministerial candidate but failed to make much impact.<br /><br />The BJP too was hoping to gain from its alliance with the RLD and was also banking on a possible polarisation following Varun Gandhi episode. It did not happen though.<br />While the Congress headquarters witnessed large scale celebrations, the BSP, BJP and the SP offices remained quiet. Senior SP leaders are in Delhi chalking out its next strategy.</p>
<p>While the SP suffered major losses and BSP supremo Mayawati’s hopes to occupy the top post came a cropper, the BJP’s alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal failed to deliver. At the same time, the Congress rose from ruins to make handsome gains in the state.<br /><br />Although official figures were not available, according to reliable sources, the SP bagged 22 seats, down 13 from its 2004 tally of 35. The BSP won 21 seats-up two from its tally of 19 seats in 2004.<br /><br />The Congress bagged as many as 21 seats, which was up 12 from its tally of nine seats in the previous general elections while the BJP-RLD combine emerged victorious in 15 seats (10 BJP, 5 RLD). In the last polls, BJP had won the same number of seats.<br /><br />Prominent Congress candidates who won the polls included Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who beat her nearest rival by over 3.72 lakh votes in Raebareli and Rahul Gandhi, who defeated his nearest BSP rival by over 3.70 lakh votes in Amethi.<br /><br />Among other notable Congress winners are Union Ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jitin Prasad, former Union Minister Sanjay Singh, former India captain Mohammad Aharuddin, former UPCC chief Salman Khursheed and P L Punia, former principal secretary to UP chief minister Mayawati. Prominent SP leaders, who made it to the 15th Lok Sabha included party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav and film actress Jaya Prada, who won by over 31,000 votes from Rampur.<br /><br />For the BJP, the prominent winners included party chief Rajnath Singh, former union ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and Maneka Gandhi, senior party leader Lalji Tandon and Varun Gandhi, who bagged the Pilibhit seat by over 2.80 lakh votes.<br /><br />Prominent losers included former Union Minister and Congress nominee Mahaveer Prasad, UPCC president Reeta Bahuguna Joshi, BJP leader Vinay Katiyar and former prime minister V P Singh’s son Ajeya Singh.<br /><br />Mafia dons and brothers Mukhtar Ansari and Afzal Ansari, both BSP nominees, lost elections from Varanasi and Ghazipur respectively.<br /><br />Although the SP was expected to lose seats, its leaders had not anticipated such a huge loss. <br /><br />On the other hand, the BSP was expecting major gains to be able to project its supremo as a prime ministerial candidate but failed to make much impact.<br /><br />The BJP too was hoping to gain from its alliance with the RLD and was also banking on a possible polarisation following Varun Gandhi episode. It did not happen though.<br />While the Congress headquarters witnessed large scale celebrations, the BSP, BJP and the SP offices remained quiet. Senior SP leaders are in Delhi chalking out its next strategy.</p>