&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "India bypolls 2026: Voting begins across 5 Assembly seats, Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency")
Polling began on Tuesday (Oct 6) morning for by-elections to five Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, along with the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam. The elections are being closely watched as a test for several ruling and opposition parties following the 2026 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Voting is taking place in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Thattanchavady in Puducherry and Nagaon in Assam.
Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9, with the Election Commission saying the entire election process will be completed by October 11.
West Bengal bypolls: Nandigram, Rejinagar in focus
In West Bengal, bypolls are being held in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The Nandigram seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly elections and chose to retain Bhabanipur. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath from Nandigram.
The Rejinagar seat was vacated after Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir, who had also won Nowda, chose to retain the latter constituency. The bypoll has attracted candidates from several parties, including AJUP, BJP, Congress and CPI.
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The two Bengal seats have emerged as closely watched contests after significant political changes in the state following the Assembly election.
Also read | Delhi Police register 3 FIRs over Jantar Mantar protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
Tamil Nadu bypolls: Madurantakam, Dharapuram contests
In Tamil Nadu, voters are casting ballots in the reserved Madurantakam (SC) seat in Chengalpattu district and Dharapuram (SC) in Tiruppur district. The Election Commission said the vacancies followed the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama.
Madurantakam has turned into a multi-cornered contest involving TVK's Maragatham Kumaravel, DMK's Paranthaman, AIADMK's Kanitha Sampath, CPI(M)'s Suganthi and NTK's Janakiraman.
In Dharapuram, the main candidates include TVK's P Sathyabama, DMK's S Suganya, AIADMK's K Banumathi, CPI's P Lakshmanan and NTK's M Karthika.
The contests are also significant because the CPI and CPI(M), which extend support to the TVK-led government, are contesting separately in the bypolls.
Nagaon: BJP, Congress, AIUDF in three-way fight
The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam is witnessing a three-way contest between the BJP, Congress and AIUDF.
The BJP has fielded former IAS officer Debashish Sharma, while Congress has nominated former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal's entry has meanwhile turned the contest into a triangular battle.
The seat fell vacant after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and later joined the BJP. He subsequently won the Dispur Assembly seat in the 2026 Assam elections.
Puducherry's Thattanchavady also votes
Polling is also underway in the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency in Puducherry. The seat fell vacant after Chief Minister and AINRC leader N Rangasamy, who won both Thattanchavady and Mangalam in the April Assembly election, chose to retain Mangalam. AINRC has fielded former legislator Ashok Anand with NDA backing.
The constituency has 11 candidates in the fray, with Congress, DMK and CPI among the other parties contesting.
