In a major setback to Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party, relatives of many ministers and senior leaders were defeated in the Panchayat Elections. Counting of votes is underway.


Importantly, and in what is a message for the BJP and PM Narendra Modi, an independent candidate has defeated the BJP candidate in Jayapur, Varanasi., the village adopted by the PM. Modi had adopted the village in November 2014 under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana a scheme for MPs to adopt a village in their constituency and develop it with all the resources at their command.


Meanwhile, officials with the state Election Commission told IANS that so far results of 35,000 regional panchayat wards have been declared, and of the 3,112 posts of district panchayat members, 19 results have been declared. Many family members of minisers in the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet contested the polls but have bitten the dust.


Read:  'Modi village' is Varanasi's new hot spot