New Delhi: Counting of votes for by-elections to three Lok Sabha seats and 29 assembly seats in 13 states and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the country has begun at 8 am today. Bye-election to the Assembly was held for five seats in Assam, four in West Bengal, 3 each in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, 2 each in Bihar, Karnataka and Rajasthan and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Telangana.

In West Bengal, TMC leader Udayan Guha is looking to win the Dinhata seat again, which the BJP snatched from him in last April's elections. The bypoll was held following the resignation of Nisith Pramanik, now union minister of state for home as he decided to retain his Lok Sabha membership. The Dinhata and Shantipur bypolls are seen as a prestige battle for the BJP, which is currently battling MLAs and senior leaders leaving the party. BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar had resigned from the Shantipur assembly seat. In Bihar, counting of votes is being held today after bypolls in Tarapur and Kusheshwar assembly constituencies on Saturday. In Bihar, polling was held in Tarapur and Kusheshwar Sthal assembly constituencies on Saturday for bypolls on October 30.

According to state election body data, Kusheshwar place recorded 20.25 per cent polling while Tarapur recorded 23 per cent polling. Bye-elections are being held in both these seats due to the death of Janata Dal (United) MLAs led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. The bypoll was required as MLAs died from both the seats. Both of them were from CM Nitish Kumar's party Janata Dal (United). Congress has fielded its own candidates. At the same time, Chirag Paswan, who is leading a faction of the Lok Janshakti Party, wants to prove his hold on Tarapur as well as Kusheshwar seat in his Jamui Lok Sabha constituency.

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