NEW DELHI: Counting of votes has begun in the high-stakes assembly by-elections in five constituencies across Nilambur seat in Kerala, Ludhiana West seat in Punjab, Kaliganj seat in West Bengal, and Visavadar and Kadi seats in Gujarat.

The results of each constituency will be declared today as the counting started at 8 AM.

In Ludhiana security has been tightened outside the counting centre in Ludhiana's Khalsa College for Women as the counting of votes began at 8 am.

The bypoll was necessitated after AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi died of a self-inflicted bullet injury in January this year.

AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora from the seat. The BJP fielded its leader, Jiwan Gupta, and the Congress fielded former state minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.