BJP wrested the Muzaffarnagar seat from the ruling Samajwadi Party, which also lost the Deoband seat to the Congress in two of the three by-elections in UP for which results were announced today.

The bypoll results are being viewed as crucial in the countdown to the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next year.

The ruling party was leading in Bikapur, according to the latest trends."Congress has won Deoband (Saharanpur), while BJP has won Muzaffarnagar seat. SP is leading in Bikapur (Faizabad), where counting is still underway," UP Chief Electoral Officer, Arun Singhal told PTI.

While BJP's Kapil Dev Agarwal has won from the Muzffarnagar seat, Mavia Ali of Congress won the Deoband defeating SP candidate Meena Rana.

SP's Anand Sen Yadav is leading in Bikapur over his nearest rival RLD candidate Munna Singh Chauhan.

The by-elections were necessitated in Muzaffarnagar, Deoband and Bikapur due to death of of SP MLAs Chitranjan Swaroop, Rajendra Singh Rana and Mitrasen Yadav last year.

Gaurav Swaroop was the SP candidate from Muzaffarnagar, while Anandsen Yadav and Meena Rana were the party candidates from Bikapur and Deoband seat.