The Congress was on Tuesday set to emerge as the single largest party in Uttarakhand, enjoying an edge against ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party in a nail-biting finish for half-way mark in the elections to the 70-member Assembly.
Out of the 60 results declared so far, Congress won 27 seats and was ahead in five others while the BJP bagged 28 constituencies and led in three.
The biggest setback for the BJP was the defeat of Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri who was defeated by S.S. Negi of the Congress from Kotdwar seat by 4,632 votes.
The BSP won three seats and three independents emerged successful, thus positioning themselves as possible kingmakers.
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Panwar (UKD-P) won one seat.
Congress leader Indira Haridayesh wrested Haldwani seat from the BJP by defeating its candidate Renu Adhikari.
State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal won from Didihaat constituency. PCC chief Yashpal Arya won from Baajpur seat and leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat led in Rudraprayag seat.
