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.&nbsp;Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9, with the Election Commission saying the entire election process will be completed by October 11.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-cji-surya-kant-eci-modified-form-6-sir-1791194930792">CJI Surya Kant says Supreme Court never approved modified Form 6 for SIR</a><h2>West Bengal bypolls: Nandigram, Rejinagar in focus</h2>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.The two Bengal seats have emerged as closely watched contests after significant political changes in the state following the Assembly election.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-police-register-3-firs-over-jantar-mantar-protests-demanding-cec-gyanesh-kumar-s-resignation-1791013486008">Delhi Police register 3 FIRs over Jantar Mantar protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation</a><h2>Tamil Nadu bypolls: Madurantakam, Dharapuram contests</h2>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.<h2>Nagaon: BJP, Congress, AIUDF in three-way fight</h2>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 votesPolling 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.&nbsp;

Voting is underway in five Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, along with Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. The bypolls are being closely watched as a test of political strength ahead of future electoral battles.

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. Also read | CJI Surya Kant says Supreme Court never approved modified Form 6 for SIR 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. 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.

Voting is underway in five Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, along with Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha seat.&nbsp;

India bypolls 2026: Voting begins across 5 Assembly seats, Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency

Three former Rajya Sabha MPs, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, who were all elected on TMC tickets, have been named as BJP's official candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections in West Bengal to be held on July 24, 2026. Roy and Baraik's were due till September 2029, while Dev was to continue till April 2030.While regular biennial elections have a proportional voting system, allowing minority parties to win a share of the seats in the Rajya Sabha. But in bypolls, there will be three separate ballot boxes and three separate voting processes; the candidate with 50 per cent +1 majority is likely to land the seats. &nbsp;While the BJP is the clear favourite to win these polls with a commanding majority of 207 seats out of the 294 seats.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-jackson-hinkle-maga-communist-khamenei-funeral-1783606860651">Who is Jackson Hinkle? The American who chanted 'Down with USA' at Khamenei's funeral</a>The announcement came just hours after the three TMC candidates formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its state headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata. They were welcomed into the party by State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. The induction marks a shift from the BJP's post-assembly position on admitting TMC leaders into the party. The BJP President called the induction an “exception”, saying that their experience will improve the BJP's position in the state. This was consistent with the party's earlier stand of accommodating “untainted” leaders from the ruling party, a position that had drawn criticism from the party's senior leaders like Dilip Ghosh.&nbsp;"Everyone has a past. Their only identity now is that they are BJP workers," said President Samik Bhattacharya.&nbsp;The government is likely to reintroduce the constitutional amendments to advance Women's Reservation, along with the Delimitation Bill and the One Nation One Election, in the Monsoon Session of the parliament starting on July 20. Winning these three seats will raise the BJP’s individual tally in the Upper House from 114 to 117, while the total strength of the BJP-led NDA reaches 154 seats, just 10 short of a two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.&nbsp;

The BJP has nominated former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha bypolls.

Three former Rajya Sabha MPs, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, who were all elected on TMC tickets, have been named as BJP's official candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections in West Bengal to be held on July 24, 2026. Roy and Baraik's were due till September 2029, while Dev was to continue till April 2030. While regular biennial elections have a proportional voting system, allowing minority parties to win a share of the seats in the Rajya Sabha. But in bypolls, there will be three separate ballot boxes and three separate voting processes; the candidate with 50 per cent +1 majority is likely to land the seats. While the BJP is the clear favourite to win these polls with a commanding majority of 207 seats out of the 294 seats. Also Read: Who is Jackson Hinkle? The American who chanted 'Down with USA' at Khamenei's funeral The announcement came just hours after the three TMC candidates formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its state headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata. They were welcomed into the party by State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. The induction marks a shift from the BJP's post-assembly position on admitting TMC leaders into the party. The BJP President called the induction an “exception”, saying that their experience will improve the BJP's position in the state. This was consistent with the party's earlier stand of accommodating “untainted” leaders from the ruling party, a position that had drawn criticism from the party's senior leaders like Dilip Ghosh. "Everyone has a past. Their only identity now is that they are BJP workers," said President Samik Bhattacharya. The government is likely to reintroduce the constitutional amendments to advance Women's Reservation, along with the Delimitation Bill and the One Nation One Election, in the Monsoon Session of the parliament starting on July 20. Winning these three seats will raise the BJP’s individual tally in the Upper House from 114 to 117, while the total strength of the BJP-led NDA reaches 154 seats, just 10 short of a two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.

The BJP has nominated former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik for the West Bengal Rajya Sabha bypolls.

BJP fields three ex-TMC MPs for Bengal Rajya Sabha bypolls after high-profile switch

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India bypolls 2026: Voting begins across 5 Assembly seats, Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency

BJP fields 3 ex-TMC MPs for Bengal Rajya Sabha bypolls after high-profile switch