Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (IANS): Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Rita Sahu was heading towards a massive victory in the by-poll for Bijepur Assembly constituency in Odisha's Bargarh district, counting for which was underway on Wednesday.

Rita Sahu was leading by 38,269 votes over her rival BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi. Congress nominee Pranaya Sahu was a distant third.

Official sources said, at the end of the 18th round, that while BJD candidate Rita Sahu had secured 93,283 votes, BJP's Ashok Panigrahi had garnered 55,014.

On the other hand, Congress nominee Pranaya Sahu had managed merely 7,914 votes.

It is expected that 21 rounds of counting will be held, which is being done at Padampur Anchal College in Bijepur.

The Bijepur Assembly seat result assumes significance, particularly for BJD, BJP and Congress as it is seen as the precursor to the 2019 General Elections.

The by-poll was held on February 24 in which around 82 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise. It was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August 2017. Subal Sahu's widow Rita Sahu was contesting the by-election as ruling BJD candidate.

BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi had won the Bijepur Assembly seat once in 2000 Assembly election.

Though as many as 13 candidates were in fray for the assembly seat, the high voltage fight was primarily seen as a triangular contest between state ruling BJD, BJP and Congress.

CRPF personnel have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident during the counting.