Hyderabad, Jun 15 - YSR Congress Party candidates were leading in at least 15 of the 18 Assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, as per the initial trends in counting of votes.

In Kadapa district, the Lok Sabha constituency of YRS Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy, who is in jail in connection with a disproportionate assets case, the YSRCP nominees were leading in all the three Assembly seats of Rayachoti, Rajampet and Koduru by impressive margins over their nearest rivals.

They were leading by 3,800 votes, 2,771 votes and 1,971 in Rayachoti, Rajampet and Koduru, respectively. In Visakhapatnam district, YSRCP candidate was leading in the Payakaraopet Assembly segment by 1,100 votes after first round.

In Narasannapet segment in Srikakulam district, YSRCP was leading by six rounds after completion of third round. The YSRCP nominees were also leading in Narasapuram, Polavaram (ST), Prathipadu (SC), Macherla seats.

A keen contest was on between YSRCP candidates and their nearest Congress rivals in Tirupati, Narsapuram, Ramachandrapuram with lead positions changing frequently.

In Ramachandrapuram constituency, the YSR Congress party candiate was leading by 447 votes over his nearest Congress rival after completion of the first round counting.

In Parkal Assembly segment, the sole seat in Telangana region where bye-election was held, TRS candidate Bikshapati was leading by 955 votes after first round. In Rajahmundry, the Congress candidate was leading over the YSR Congress candidate. PTI