Guwahati, Nov 2 (IANS): The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) are leading in all the five Assam Assembly seats, election officials said on Tuesday.

BJP nominees Phanidhar Talukdar, Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi are leading in the Bhabanipur, Thowra and Mariani Assembly seats, respectively, against their Congress and independent rivals as the counting of votes cast in the October 30 bypolls was underway in the five constituencies, officials said.

BJP's partner UPPL candidates Jiron Basumatary and Jolen Daimary are leading in the Gossaigaon and Tamulpur seats, respectively against the Bodoland Peoples Front and Independent candidates.

Talukdar won the Bhabanipur seat on the All India United Democratic Front's (AIUDF) ticket, while Borgohain was elected from the Thowra seat and Kurmi from the Mariani constituency on the Congress tickets in the March-April general elections. But they joined the BJP after quitting their parties and the Assembly memberships.

In the by-elections, 73.77 per cent of around 8 lakh eligible electors 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.