Bhopal, February 28: The counting of votes for the bypolls to two Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh was underway today, with the BJP leading in Mungaoli and the Congress in Kolaras after the completion of the first round, an official said. BJP's Baisahab Yadav was leading by 265 votes in Mungaoli while in Kolaras, the Congress candidate, Mahendra Singh Yadav, was ahead of his rivals by a margin of 514 ballots, the official said.

The postal ballots were counted first, he said. The outcome of the two bypolls would be watched keenly as a possible pointer to people's mood ahead of the Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state, due later this year.

The bypolls, held on February 24, were necessitated due to the death of Congress's MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (Mungaoli) and Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras). A total of 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli while 22 candidates are contesting in Kolaras.