UP battle: BJP-led NDA leading in 44 LS seats, INDIA bloc in 34; Smriti Irani trailing

Lucknow: The BJP-led NDA was leading in 44 Lok Sabha seats and the INDIA bloc in 34 in Uttar Pradesh, according trends on the Election Commission website.

The BJP was leading in 42 seats and its ally RLD in two. INDIA bloc parties SP and Congress were leading in 28 and six seats, respectively, the election panel's data for polls to the 80 parliamentary constituencies in the state showed.

Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) was also leading on one seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were leading from the Varanasi, Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Kannauj Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, respectively, according to the EC.

Union ministers Smriti Irani (BJP) and Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal (S)), and senior BJP leader Maneka Gandhi were trailing in the Amethi, Mirzapur and the Sultanpur seats, respectively.