Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Dimple Yadav is leading with 4,800 votes after the third round of counting in Mainpuri.
She has established a lead over her nearest rival Raghuraj Shakya of the BJP.
BJP spokesman Harish Chandra Srivastava said that it was too early to make any statement and the party was confident of wresting the seat from SP.
The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat was declared vacant following the demise of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Claiming Mulayam's legacy
Dimple Yadav is contesting the Manipuri by-elections to claim Mulayam's legacy.
The entire Yadav family joined hands to ensure that the seat remains in the family, estranged leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav also patched up, much to the relief of family members.
For Akhilesh, this election is extremely crucial because ever since he took over the reins of the party, he has been facing a series of defeats. From the 2017 Assembly polls to 2019 Lok Sabha polls, then the 2022 Assembly polls and the following bypolls in Azamgarh and Rampur, the party has faced losses.
A victory in Mainpuri will not only strengthen his position as the party leader but will also boost the morale of the cadres.
