Kolkata: Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from West Bengal's Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Babul Supriyo is leading his nearest rival Trinamool Congress' Moon Sen after one and half hours of vote counting.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Babul Supriyo defeated Trinamool Congress’ Dola Sen by a margin of seventy thousand seats.

BJP on Thursday appeared set to retain power as its candidates led in most of the 542 Lok Sabha constituencies where millions of votes were being counted.

The counting began at 8 a.m. as scheduled, with officials first taking up the postal ballots.

(With inputs added in IANS copy)