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NEW DELHI, India, Friday (Reuters)

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fared badly in elections in India's biggest state Uttar Pradesh, exit polls showed denting its credibility during a standoff with Pakistan.

Exit polls by Zee Television and state television Doordarshan put the socialist regional Samajwadi Party ahead of the BJP, which controlled the outgoing state assembly, after a third and final round of voting.

An exit poll by Aaj Tak showed the BJP only narrowly ahead.

However neither party was projected to win enough seats to form a government alone, paving the way for a hung assembly and a messy and protracted period of haggling to form a coalition.

A poor showing in Uttar Pradesh would not topple the national coalition government, which the BJP dominates.

But it would dent Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's credibility. Control of Uttar Pradesh, with its 166 million people, has long been seen as key to control of the country.

Zee Television said its exit poll showed the BJP would win just 131 seats out of the 403 seats being contested, compared with 145 seats for the Samajwadi Party.

Doordarshan projected 118 seats for the BJP, compared to 156 for the Samajawadi Party. Aaj Tak projected the BJP taking 142 seats and the Samajwadi Party 136.

Counting is due on Sunday for Uttar Pradesh and three other states also holding elections - Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur.

But political analysts are already speculating on whether the BJP might strike a post-poll alliance with third-placed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to keep the Samajwadi Party out of office.

"We are going to see members of the assembly bought and sold," former Prime Minister V.P. Singh told reporters. "Horse-trading has been rampant in Uttar Pradesh in the past." The Bahujan Samaj Party represents the Dalits, at the bottom of the Indian caste hierarchy.

The BJP, which has long advocated a tough posture towards Pakistan, has played heavily on its two-month-old standoff with its neighbour to try to swing the vote.

"If the BJP loses, that will only strengthen (Pakistan President Pervez) Musharraf," outgoing Chief Minister Rajnath Singh said in an interview with The Times of India.

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