By-Polls Underway for 5 Assembly & 1 LS Seats; Results on Oct 9
Voters have begun casting their ballots in high-stakes by-elections across five assembly constituencies in three states and one parliamentary constituency in Assam. The electoral exercise spans Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Thattanchavady in Puducherry, Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, along with the critical Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam. With polling stations operating under strict security protocols, the counting of votes across all six contested seats is scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026, setting the stage for significant political recalibrations in both regional and national spheres.
Tamil Nadu Spotlight: First Litmus Test for Chief Minister Vijay's TVK Regime
In Tamil Nadu, the by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram mark the first electoral referendum for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, whose newly minted party, the Tamilaga Vetti Kazhagam (TVK), stormed to power in the state assembly elections just two years after its founding. Both seats were vacated after sitting AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P. Satyabhama (Dharapuram) resigned their memberships to join the TVK, which subsequently nominated them as its candidates. Madurantakam features a crowded field of 27 contenders, while Dharapuram has 30 candidates on the ballot, with the DMK led by former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the AIADMK, and the CPI mounting aggressive campaigns to challenge the ruling party's early momentum.
High-Octane Battles in Bengal: Suvendu's Turf in Nandigram and Divided Factions in Rejinagar
West Bengal witnesses an intense showdown centered on Nandigram, the seat vacated by BJP Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari following his twin victory in Bhawanipur and Nandigram, choosing to retain Bhawanipur. The BJP has put forward Hasirani Rath, while an embattled Trinamool Congress—now divided into two factions following its exit from power—has backed Congress nominee Milan Pradhan, who is contesting on interim bail granted by the Calcutta High Court. The rival TMC faction has positioned Mohammad Eteshamul Haque, alongside CPI candidate Shanti Gopal Giri. In Rejinagar, vacated following the resignation of Humayun Kabir of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), Kabir's son Ghulam Nabi Azad is locked in a fierce multi-cornered contest in a constituency where minority voters comprise roughly 70 percent of the electorate, competing against BJP's Sakhrao Sarkar, CPI(M)'s Syed Asad Ali, and competing nominees from both TMC factions.
Triangular Parliamentary Clash in Nagaon and NDA Referendum in Puducherry
Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha seat presents a marquee three-way contest necessitated by the resignation of former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who crossed over to the BJP. Holding the seat in both 2019 and 2024, the Congress has made this a prestige battle by fielding former MLA Sibamoni Bora against BJP's Devashish Sharma, while AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal's direct entry into the fray brings massive influence in a constituency with an over 55 percent minority voter base. Down south in Puducherry, the Thattanchavady assembly seat tests public approval for the four-month-old NDA administration led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who vacated the seat after winning two constituencies. The ruling AINRC candidate Ashok Anand is defending the seat against the DMK-Congress alliance challengers E. Vinayagam and K. Sethu Selvam.
