Guwahati, Nov 2 (IANS): The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates Phanidhar Talukdar and Sushanta Borgohain are leading in the Bhabanipur and Thowra Assembly seats in Assam against their Congress and independent rivals as the counting of votes are underway on Tuesday in the five constituencies, officials said.

Talukdar won the Bhabanipur seat and Borgohain from the Thowra seat in the March-April general elections on the All India United Democratic Front's (AIUDF) and Congress tickets, respectively, but subsequently they joined the BJP after quitting their party and the assembly memberships.

The by-elections were held on October 30 in Gossaigaon, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur, Mariani and Thowra.

Altogether 73.77 per cent of around 8 lakh eligible electors in the five seats cast their votes to decide the electoral fortune of 31 candidates.

The polls were necessitated due to the Covid-related deaths of two sitting MLAs belonging to the United People's Party Liberal and the Bodoland People's Front, while the two Congress and an AIUDF legislators joined the BJP after quitting their Assembly membership.