Pramod Boro-led UPPL was on Saturday leading on 25 seats, early trends showed as votes were being counted for the 40 seats of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election.
Ruling BPF-led by BTC chief Hagrama Mahilary, which won 20 seats in 2015 BTC polls, was ahead only in seven seats.
The BJP, which is contesting against its own ally BPF, is leading on seven seats.
Opposition Congress and Kokrajhar MP Naba Kumar Sarania-led Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) are leading on one seat each.
Interestingly, BTC chief Hagrama Mahilary is trailing by 48 votes in Debargaon constituency and by 31 votes in Kachugaon seat.
The counting of votes began this morning at 8 am on 10 counting centres across four BTR districts—Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.
There a total of 40 seats in BTC and the halfway mark to form the council is 21.