Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Six Bypolls Underway Across Four Regions, With Nagaon in Focus
People are voting in six special elections in four parts of India.
Five votes are for state Assembly seats, and one is for a seat in Parliament.
The seats are in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam.
Voting began on Tuesday, and the votes are scheduled to be counted on October 9.
In Tamil Nadu, two elections are being watched to see how much support Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s party has.
In West Bengal, voters are choosing representatives in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
Assam’s Nagaon election is a contest among the BJP, Congress and AIUDF.
One report says voting in Nagaon ends at 5 pm, while another says polling overall continues until 6 pm.
Voting began Tuesday in five Assembly constituencies and the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.
The Assembly seats are Nandigram, Rejinagar, Madurantakam, Dharapuram and Thattanchavady; counting is scheduled for October 9.
Nandigram and Rejinagar feature candidates from the BJP, TMC factions, Congress and left parties, amid withdrawals and other campaign disputes.
Madurantakam and Dharapuram are being watched as tests for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s TVK; the seats were vacated by AIADMK legislators who resigned and joined TVK.
Nagaon is a three-way contest among the BJP, Congress and AIUDF; reports specify polling ends at 5 pm there, while another gives 6 pm as the overall closing time.
- Who
- Voters and candidates from parties including the BJP, TMC factions, TVK, Congress, AIADMK, CPI, CPI(M) and AIUDF.
- What
- By-elections for five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat.
- When
- Voting took place on Tuesday, October 6, 2026; counting is scheduled for October 9.
- Where
- Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal; Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu; Thattanchavady in Puducherry; and Nagaon in Assam.
- Why
- The seats became vacant after elected representatives retained another seat, resigned, or changed parties.
Ruling-party aims
Opposition-party aims
Nagaon seat
Ruling-party aims
The BJP is seeking to expand its support in the Muslim-majority constituency and strengthen its presence across voter groups.
Opposition-party aims
The Congress is seeking to retain the seat and its minority support base; the AIUDF is seeking to maintain its influence.
Tamil Nadu bypolls
Ruling-party aims
TVK views Madurantakam and Dharapuram as important tests of its support after coming to power; its candidates are the former AIADMK legislators who vacated the seats.
Opposition-party aims
The DMK, AIADMK and CPI are also contesting. TVK leaders said a loss could complicate the party’s political narrative and slow further defections, while the DMK is contesting without its previous broad alliance.
West Bengal contests
Ruling-party aims
The BJP-led government faces its first electoral test in Nandigram and Rejinagar after its Assembly election victory.
Opposition-party aims
Opposition parties are competing amid candidate withdrawals, arrests and allegations of police pressure; in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee backed Congress candidate Milan Pradhan after her faction’s nominee withdrew.
- Seats
- Five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency
- Regions
- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam
- Voting began
- Tuesday, October 6, 2026; reports said polling was scheduled to begin at 7 am
- Counting
- Scheduled for October 9
- Polling hours
- One article says Nagaon polling ends at 5 pm; other reports give 6 pm as the general closing time
- Tamil Nadu constituencies
- Madurantakam and Dharapuram
- West Bengal constituencies
- Nandigram and Rejinagar
- Nagaon candidates
- The main contest is described as BJP, Congress and AIUDF; 15 candidates are reported to be contesting
Sources
By Election 2026 Live Updates: Polling begins in Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Assam and Puducherry
Bypoll Live Updates 2026: Voting Set To Begin In 6 Seats Across 4 States, Nagaon, Nandigram In Focus
By Election 2026: Bypolls on 6 seats in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam