Proving wrong fears of a hung assembly, the BJP was set to sweep back to power in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday after 15 long years, giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi his biggest victory after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Over 61 per cent voters exercised their franchise on Thursday across 53 seats in the fourth phase elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly. The voting percentage is likely to go up.

In all, 1.84 crore voters will use their franchise in the tight contest between the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Of these, around one crore are male voters, 84 lakh women voters and 1,034 voters from the third gender.

Over 65 per cent voters cast their ballot in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections across 67 seats on Wednesday, the Election Commission said here.

Being considered as the biggest litmus test for Narendra Modi govt, the seven-phase assembly polls will deal with crucial results. Uttar Pradesh is the largest and the most crucial state among five states and holds 403 seats barometer at the Centre.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday accused the central government of trying to do away with reservation for Dalits.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said that the Samajwadi Party's election symbol 'cycle' belongs to "Netaji" (Mulayam Singh Yadav), and that his blessings are with his son.

In another twist to the Samajwadi Party family, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is once again set to reinstate state president Shivpal Yadav back into the UP cabinet along with three other ministers who were suspended by him.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday rubbished all the rumours that he will form a ‘new party’ and said that he will always remain with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

In a hasty and surprising move, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday sacked his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav from his cabinet, who was a senior minister in UP Cabinet.