New Delhi: BJP appeared to cede ground in Uttar Pradesh where SP was leading on nine of the 11 Assembly seats where bypolls were held on September 13.
In Gujarat, Congress looks poised to snatch 2 seats from BJP while in Rajasthan, Congress was leading in 3 seats while BJP was leading in 1 seat.
Three hours after counting of votes in bypolls to 33 assembly constituencies spread across 10 states began, two results were declared with TDP candidate T Sowmya winning Nandigama (SC) in Andhra Pradesh by about 75,000 votes while CPI-M nominee Prabhat Chowdhury trounced his nearest Congress rival Mailafru Mog by 15,971 votes in the Manu (ST) in Tripura.
The outcome of the bypolls are seen as yet another test of Narendra Modi government's popularity since it assumed power in May, It is also important as BJP prepares for polls in Haryana and Maharashtra next month where it hopes to oust the Congress in the two states.
In Uttar Pradesh, SP is leading in nine seats, BJP and its ally in two seats.
Stakes are high for BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party in UP after the saffron party's near-total sweep of the 80 seats in Lok Sabha polls.
Ruling BJP is leading in seven assembly seats in Gujarat while Congress is ahead on two, according to early trends.
All the seats were earlier held by BJP and were vacated after their sitting MLAs were elected as MPs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was a three-time MLA from Maninagar.
The bypolls are also considered to be a test for new Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel under whose leadership, the elections are being held for the first time.
In Rajasthan, Opposition Congress candidates are leading in three out of the four Assembly constituencies while ruling BJP candidate is ahead on the remaining one. Initial trends show that Congress candidates Shrawan Kumar (Surajgarh), Bhajanlal (Weir) and Ramnarayan (Nasirabad) are leading while BJP's Sandeep Sharma was ahead on Kota South.
Trinamool Congress and Congress are leading in Basirhat Dakhin and Chowringhee Assembly constituencies in West Bengal.
For the three seats in Assam, opposition AIUDF is leading in Jamunamukh and Lakhipur while BJP is ahead in Silchar.
