The counting of votes for the Rajouri Garden assembly bypolls in New Delhi began today morning.

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa is leading by 1,011 votes

The bypolls are a litmus test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and a victory will be a major boost for it ahead of the civic polls.

However, a loss for the AAP would provide ammunition to the BJP and Congress, which have been accusing the Kejriwal government of having 'failed' in delivering electoral promises.

The bypoll was conducted as this west-Delhi seat fell vacant after AAP legislator Jarnail Singh quit to contest the Punjab assembly elections.

The AAP's candidate was a new Sikh face, Harjeet Singh, while the Congress put its bet on local councillor Meenakshi Chandila, daughter-in-law of former MLA Dayanand Chandila.

Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, BJP's Anil Dhiman is leading on Bhoranj seat by 1,364 votes, while in Jharkhand, Simon Marandi of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is leading from Litipara.

In Rajasthan, BJP's Shobha Rani Kushavah is leading from Dholpur, while in Karnataka, early trends suggested a lead for the Congress on Gundlupet and Nanjangud seats after first round of counting. -- ANI