Lucknow: Elated over the victories in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav credited the outcome to BJP's "misgovernance" and also thanked once arch foe and BSP leader Mayawati for supporting his candidates.

After Samajwadi Party candidates were declared elected from both the constituencies, Akhilesh Yadav said this was a fitting reply to the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh and that the results carried a "message and direction".

"I am thankful to the people of these two places," he told the media.

"Jo sarkaar janta ko dukh deti hai, janta usko sahi jawaab deti hai," he said. "Acche din toh aaye nahi, janta ek ho gayi aur BJP ke bure din laane ka kaam kiya." (A government which gives pain to the people gets a fitting response from the people. Good days never dawned for the people and so bad days have started for the BJP.)

Yadav also raised questions over the functioning and integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and said that the margin of victory would have been "in lakhs, not in thousands" had the voting been done through ballot papers.

Celebrations broke out in many parts of the state as Samajwadi Party cadres smeared each other with Holi colours and raised slogans in favour of the BSP-SP alliance.

"Bua-Bhatija Zindabad" slogans rent the air at some places. BSP and SP flags fluttered together.

The Samajwadi Party's Nagendra Singh Patel emerged victorious in Phulpur with a margin of 59,613 votes.

Pravin Nishad beat his BJP rival in Gorakhpur, a seat held by the BJP since 1989, by 21,881 votes.

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Davangere: Reports state that two groups engaged in stone pelting at each other during Ganesha idol immersion ceremony in Davangere on Thursday. Two police personnel were injured in the incident.

Few days ago, two groups of youth engaged in verbal altercation regarding raising of a flag for Eid Milad celebration. On account of the clashes, police had heightened security for the Ganesha procession. Despite the additional security, stones were pelted at the procession, sources stated. Inspector Gururaj and constable Raghavendra were injured in the incident. The procession continued after the police brought the situation to control. However, the stone pelting resumed once again as the procession surged forwards.

Security has been tightened up in the area and all shops have been closed down by the police. The two police personnel, who were injured in the stone pelting, are undergoing treatment at a hospital.