The story of young people in India’s largest state is one of foiled dreams and frustration.

Millions of them are desperately searching for work, but are unable to find a job. Most want to work with the government, but there aren’t enough jobs on offer - and pandemic-induced delays have slowed down recruitment further, adding to graduates’ woes.

The BBC’s Vikas Pandey met some of these young people who spoke of the pressures driving their relentless search for security.

As the BJP looks set to return to power in UP, creating more jobs will be a top priority - and challenge.

Punjab: AAP's spectacular win leaves big names in the dustpublished at 08:09 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2022

08:09 GMT 10 March 2022

Atul Sangar
Editor, BBC News Punjabi

Image source, Getty Images

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by satirist and two-time MP Bhagwant Mann, is heading for a landslide win in Punjab. Its focus on governance, health and education - supported by its track record in Delhi, where it has governed since 2013 - struck a chord with voters, who were evidently ready for a change.

While the party celebrates its spectacular performance, several big names from other parties are staring at a defeat. Former chief minister Amarinder Singh is set to lose from his traditional Patiala Urban seat - he had resigned from the Congress in a huff last year after a months-long power struggle with maverick cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. He has lost his pan-Punjab appeal and tying up with BJP didn’t help.

Most Congress ministers are trailing in their seats. Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi is trailing in Bhadaur, though he is leading by a small margin in Chamkaur Sahib, a second seat where he contested.

Mr Sidhu too is headed for a loss for the first time in his 17-year political career.

The Congress’s choice of Mr Channi to replace Mr Singh was seen as a smart one, calculated to appeal to the Dalit votebank - but ultimately, that couldn’t make up for alienating its traditional Hindu vote base and Jat Sikh voters.

The 100-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal also faces a rout. Five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and several other prominent party leaders are trailing in their respective seats.

Sharanya Hrishikesh
BBC News, Delhi

Image source, Getty Images

The BJP looks set for a comfortable win in Uttar Pradesh - India’s largest state which is considered a bellwether for parliamentary elections.

Just 10 months ago, these results would have been unimaginable - as the state struggled with a devastating second wave of Covid that killed thousands. At the peak in May last year, Indians watched, aghast, as the country’s holiest river, Ganga, swelled up with corpses.

While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath insisted his government had things under control, reports of people struggling to find hospital beds and oxygen kept pouring in, like elsewhere in the country.

There was visible anger on the ground - in Varanasi, PM Modi’s constituency, furious voters alleged the prime minister and chief minister had “gone into hiding”.

But as the months passed, the anger seemed to die down - reports suggest that many voters now feel the government did its best to manage the crisis. In fact, people also seemed to remember those dark weeks from 2021 only when reporters brought it up during conversations.

A slew of welfare measures, hectic campaigning by Mr Modi, who is hugely popular here, and an emphasis on Hindu majoritarianism seem to have won voters over.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma says the people of the state have given their verdict as the BJP is headed for a thumping majority.

“I will not comment on the number of seats we could win. But the results indicate that people have voted for progress and development which was started by the BJP in 2017," he tells the BBC Hindi's Anant Zanane.

Mr Sharma adds: "This is the first time in decades that an incumbent government will come back to power in Uttar Pradesh. It is historic - and you ought to give us credit for that."

BJP and Congress in close fight for Goapublished at 07:37 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2022

07:37 GMT 10 March 2022

Ashish Dikshit
Editor, BBC New Marathi

Image source, ANI

Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur are delivering decisive verdicts, but the tiny coastal state of Goa keeps us all in suspense.

It continues to be a close race, with the BJP ahead in 18 of the state's 40 seats, despite palpable anti-incumbency. The Congress is trailing behind with leads in just 11 seats.

The BJP may need the help of smaller parties to reach the majority mark, 20.

Party leader Devendra Fadnavis told reporters in Panaji that he is in touch with former ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

But MGP is already in a pre-poll alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC after a bitter divorce with the BJP.

Congress is watching the results closely. Senior leader P Chidambaram is already in Goa to avoid a repeat of 2017 - despite emerging as the largest party, the Congress was caught unaware when the BJP swiftly wooed smaller parties to cross the halfway mark.

Only half of the votes have been counted so far and things may still change given that victory margins are usually wafer-thin.

Click here to follow results from all five states.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is headed for a big win in Punjab. It's leading on 91 out of 117 seats.

The incumbent Congress and the BJP are facing a rout.

The BBC's Salman Ravi speaks to experts in Punjab to understand why the AAP is headed for a spectacular victory.

How BJP fought anti-incumbency to win Uttarakhandpublished at 07:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2022

07:21 GMT 10 March 2022

Zubair Ahmed
BBC News, Hindi

Image source, ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) performance in the hill state of Uttarakhand - where it looks set to return to power - has surprised analysts who predicted a close finish.

Since its formation in 2000, the state had alternated between Congress and BJP governments.

Eve several BJP leaders weren't confident of the party doing well enough to retain power.

The Congress may have squandered its chances with its complacence - it failed to take advantage of the confusion within the BJP, which had changed three chief ministers in four months. It did try raising issues such as corruption, unemployment and high inflation but ultimately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overwhelming popularity seems to have carried his party through.

Incumbent chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami - who is leading by a small margin in the Khatima seat - may also have won over voters by filling up thousands of vacant government posts.

Latest trends from Punjab show that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set for a big win in Punjab.

The party is leading in 90 seats out of 117.

The incumbent Congress party and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are facing a rout.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which has a small presence in the state, seems to have failed to make any significant inroads and is leading in just two seats.

Follow latest results here

The BJP looks set to win at least 249 seats in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.

While it's likely to lose 60 seats from its 2017 tally, it will still get a comfortable majority.

The party is also leading in 44 seats in Uttarakhand where it will probably retain power.

In Manipur, it's leading in 22 seats. Experts say that a second term here will boost the BJP’s plan to consolidate its presence in the northeast.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP looks poised to come back with Pushkar Singh Dhami as chief minister.

If it maintains its lead and wins, this will be the first time since the state’s formation in 2000 that an incumbent party has returned to power.

In 2017, the BJP won 57 out of 70 seats in the state to form the government. During its five-year tenure, the state has had three chief ministers.

Mr Dhami was appointed to the post in July amid infighting.

Click hereto follow results from all five states.

Image source, Getty Images

In Uttar Pradesh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to return to power, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is leading in the Gorakhpur Urban seat.

Around 2.30 pm local time, he was ahead of his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival by more than 37,000 votes. He has won several elections from the constituency, considered his stronghold.

Young Dalit leader Chandrasekhar “Ravan” Azad - who had issued a defiant challenge to Mr Adityanath - has got just over 3,000 votes till now.

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav is set to win decisively in Karhal, a party stronghold, where he is up against two big names from the Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya - who led the BJP’s push to win over crucial Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as several leaders from the community left the party - is trailing the SP’s Pallavi Patel by around 2,000 votes from the Sirathu seat. OBCs are a group of myriad middle-ranking castes who are disadvantaged compared with upper castes.

Swami Prasad Maurya, a former BJP minister who jumped ship to the SP months ago, is staring at a defeat in Fazilnagar to the BJP’s Surendra Kumar Kushwaha.

"Baby Kejriwal", the child of two Aam Admi Party (AAP) supporters who is often at party celebrations, was spotted in Punjab as AAP looks set for a historic win in the state - its first outside of its stronghold, capital Delhi.

Image source, BBC/Abhinav Goyal

Celebrations have also kicked off in Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on track to return to power.

Supporters were cheering and dancing outside the party office.

Image source, BBC/Anant Zanane

AAP leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale rejoices in Punjab over what appears to be an impending win for his party.

Image source, BBC/Sarabjit Dhaliwal

It's a grim day for the Congress party, which has been lagging in all five states.

Manipur Congress leaders, including former CM Okram Ibobi Singh watch results for the state, where the party is leading in just three of the 60 seats in the fray.

Image source, BBC/ Dilip Kumar

Reactions are pouring in as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) looks set to win in Punjab.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says people of the state have given a chance to the party's model of governance.

Led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP has won two consecutive terms to govern the capital - its success has been attributed to a tough stance against corruption and an emphasis on education and primary healthcare.

In Punjab, the party promised voters its "Delhi model".

Mr Sisodia said Mr Kejirwali's model of governance has now been "established at a national level".

India's stock markets are trading over 2.3% higher this morning as PM Modi's BJP is touted to win in three of the five state elections - and still in the fight in a fourth state.

At 11:30 am, the BSE Sensex was trading at 55,896.97, up by 2.29% while the Nifty 50 rose by 350 to 16,695.80 points.

Analysts say the outcome in Uttar Pradesh - where the BJP is currently leading with a comfortable margin - is of special interest as it's likely to set the tone for the 2024 general elections.

But the bigger concern continues to remain the Ukraine crisis - Indian markets took a hit in recent days as the rupee fell amid rising oil prices.

So, analysts say that the election results will provide only short-term stability to the market as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues.

Celebrations by party workers have begun as early trends point to comfortable wins for the Aam Admi Party in Punjab, and for the Bharayiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

The Congress stares at yet another humiliating defeatpublished at 05:47 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2022

05:47 GMT 10 March 2022

Vikas Pandey
BBC News, Delhi

Image source, Getty Images

Early trends suggest that India’s main opposition Congress party is losing in all five states.

It’s more bad news for the party, which has been losing election after election to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Trends show that Congress' tally will be limited to single digits in the bellwether state of Uttar Pradesh, where Priyanka Gandhi led the party’s campaign.

It’s still fighting in Goa, but it’s on the way to being routed in Punjab – one of just three states where it remains in power. It's also pegged to lose Uttarakhand despite visible anti-incumbency against the BJP.

The results will deepen concerns over the leadership of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and their ability to pose a challenge to Mr Modi in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul have continued to lead the party despite successive electoral defeats.

But it will get harder for them to stay at the helm if they go on to lose in all five states. India’s regional parties have been keen on a coalition without the Congress to challenge Mr Modi in 2024, and Congress' loss today will only strengthen their resolve.

Early trends suggest that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 237 seats in the state.

The BBC’s India Digital Editor Mukesh Sharma and senior reporter Zubair Ahmed speak with Zoya Mateen about what's driving the party's lead.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP looks poised to come back with Pushkar Singh Dhami as chief minister.

If it maintains its lead and wins, this will be the first time since the state’s formation in 2000 that an incumbent party has returned to power.

In 2017, the BJP won 57 out of 70 seats in the state to form the government. During its five-year tenure, the state has had three chief ministers.

Mr Dhami was appointed to the post in July amid infighting.

Click hereto follow results from all five states.

Will Punjab be the turning point for AAP?published at 05:15 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2022

05:15 GMT 10 March 2022

Atul Sangar
Editor, BBC News Punjabi

Image source, Getty Images

The stakes are high in Punjab for all the major political parties: the Congress is hoping to come back to power in one of just three states where it leads a government; the 100-year-old Akali Dal is fighting to remain relevant; and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading a motley combine as it looks to expand its base.

But it’s the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which currently governs capital Delhi, that might walk away as the winner. If it gets a majority - 59 seats in 117-member assembly - its national ambitions will get a major boost.

With two-time MP Bhagwant Mann as the CM candidate, it had campaigned on replicating its ‘Delhi model’ of improved health and education services, and providing jobs.

The incumbent Congress changed chief ministers just months before the polls, replacing veteran leader Amarinder Singh with Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi.

Analysts will be watching how this decision impacted the party's traditional base of upper caste Hindus and the recently acquired Jat Sikh vote.

A farmer-led political outfit, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, is also in the fray but may not even be able to act as a spoiler due to its late start in the polls.

Sharanya Hrishikesh
BBC News, Delhi

Image source, Getty Images

The election is not over when the votes have been counted - if the numbers don't spell out a clear winner, then the parties have a tough job on their hand.

They have to race to stitch together a majority alliance, while making sure no-one jumps ship.

Though early trends show the BJP has a clear lead in Goa and Uttarakhand, reports say top Congress and BJP leaders have already arrived in both states, where exit polls predicted close contests between the two parties for some politicking.

This could mean a return of the infamous “resort politics”, where parties lock up their lawmakers in luxury hotels to prevent them from negotiating with rivals who may offer them a better deal.

The BJP - taking its cue from home minister Amit Shah, who has the reputation of being a master strategist - has had the advantage over the past few years, helped by its vast machinery and resources. The Congress, which has come off looking tired and inefficient in comparison, will want to change that impression.

Contrary to exit polls' prediction of a close fight between the two parties in Goa, early trends show the BJP crossing the halfway mark, with the Congress far behind.

The BJP is also leading with 33 seats in Uttarakhand, another state in which exit polls suggested Congress would put up a strong fight.

The polls appear to be right so far in Manipur where the BJP is leading with 11 seats. In 2017, no single party could muster a majority, which led to a hung assembly.

Click here to follow results from all five states.