The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was on Thursday leading in the Littipara assembly constituency in Jharkhand, an official said.
JMM's Simon Marandi was leading with 26,000 votes after eight rounds of counting while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's Hemlal Murmu had got 20,971 votes.
The polling took place on April 9. Some 72 per cent of the electorate voted. Ten candidates were in the fray.
The by-poll had become an issue of prestige for the BJP and the opposition JMM. The BJP was desperate to wrest the seat that the JMM had held for 40 years.
The BJP fielded former JMM strongman Hemlal Murmu. The JMM again backed its old warrior Simon Marandi.
The seat fell vacant after JMM legislator Anil Murmu died in January.
--IANS
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