Samajwadi Party accepts defeat in Uttar Pradesh, congratulates BJP

Lucknow: Congratulating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday accepted the verdict of the people of Uttar Pradesh and said SP stood by Akhilesh Yadav.

Thanking the Election Commission for the peaceful elections, SP National Spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari said his party will continue to work for the betterment of Uttar Pradesh.

He also thanked media for covering the democratic process with complete devotion. "We are proud of the positive and development based campaign we have run. The people of Uttar Pradesh holds Akhilesh Yadav in high esteem," he added.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and supporters Holi has advanced by two days. For, they have started celebrating the festival of colours on Saturday itself after the trend and results on television screens suggesting that the BJP is heading towards a two-third majority in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP is leading on 270 seats so far, while SP + Congress alliance on 71, BSP 20 and others are leading on 8