New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS): Counting of votes for the by-polls in three Lok Sabha and 29 Assembly seats was underway on Tuesday.

The by-elections to the three Lok Sabha seats -- Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) and Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) -- and the 29 assembly constituencies in Assam (five), West Bengal (four), Himachal Pradesh (three), Madhya Pradesh (three), Meghalaya (three), Rajasthan (two), Karnataka (two), Bihar (two) and Andhra Pradesh (one), Haryana (one), Maharashtra (one), Mizoram (one) and Telangana (one) were held on October 30.

While the results are not going to change the arithmetic in the state Assemblies, a victory would consolidate the ruling party in their respective states.

Some of the high profile candidates in the fray are Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala and former Telangana Minister Eatala Rajender.

Rebel Chetan Bragta, former head of BJP Himachal Pradesh IT department Aand son of former minister of Himachal Pradesh Narendra Bragta, is giving a tough contest to BJP candidate in Jubbal Kotkhai assembly constituency in Himachal Pradesh.

BJP Himachal Pradesh president Suresh Kumar Kashyap had told IANS that the party is going to win the Mandi Lok Sabha and three Assembly seats by a huge margin.

"People have seen the work of the BJP government at the Centre and state under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they will vote to ensure victory of ABJP candidates in Himachal Pradesh," Kashyup said.