The BJP is leading by more than 1,000 votes in the by-election to Pithoragarh assembly seat in Uttarakhand, an official said on Thursday.
After the fifth round of counting, BJP's Chandra Pant was ahead of her nearest rival Anju Lunthi of the Congress by 1,197 votes, the official said.
Counting of votes for Pithoragarh seat where the bypoll was held on November 25 began at 8 am on Thursday.
The bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA and cabinet minister Prakash Pant in June this year.
Pant's wife Chandra is taking on Lunthi in a straight contest on the seat. Samajwadi Party's Manoj Bhatt is also in the fray.
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