Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Six By-Election Counts Put Regional Political Stakes In Focus
Votes are being counted in six by-elections across four regions of India.
Two races are in Tamil Nadu, where Chief Minister Vijay’s party is seeing how well it does after coming to power.
Two more are in West Bengal, where the BJP and different Trinamool groups are competing.
In Nandigram, one Trinamool candidate withdrew, and a Congress candidate is backed by a Trinamool faction.
Assam is counting votes for the Nagaon seat in Parliament, with candidates from three parties.
Puducherry is also counting votes in Thattanchavady.
The results matter to the parties because they may show how much support they have in these areas.
Counting began for five Assembly by-elections and one Lok Sabha by-election in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.
Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram contests are an early test for Chief Minister Vijay’s TVK government, which won 108 Assembly seats.
In West Bengal, votes are being counted in Nandigram and Rejinagar as the BJP, rival Trinamool factions and other parties compete.
In Nandigram, Trinamool candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination; the BJP’s Hasirani Rath and Congress nominee Milan Pradhan are among those contesting.
The Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election features candidates from the BJP, Congress and AIUDF; counting is also underway in Puducherry’s Thattanchavady.
- Who
- Candidates from the TVK, AIADMK, DMK, BJP, Trinamool Congress factions, Congress and AIUDF are contesting; counting officials are tallying the votes.
- What
- Votes are being counted in five Assembly by-elections and one Lok Sabha by-election.
- When
- Counting has started; the article does not give a specific date.
- Where
- Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu; Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal; Nagaon in Assam; and Thattanchavady in Puducherry.
- Why
- The by-elections were held to fill vacant seats; the Nagaon seat became vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi switched to the BJP and resigned.
Party and candidate positions
Competing political aims
Tamil Nadu contests
Party and candidate positions
The TVK contests are described as an early test of Vijay’s popularity and the new government’s standing.
Competing political aims
The AIADMK is seeking to reclaim the seats it won in April, while the DMK is looking for a comeback.
West Bengal contests
Party and candidate positions
The BJP’s performance is being watched after it replaced the Trinamool Congress as the ruling party following the 2026 Assembly elections.
Competing political aims
The opposition landscape includes divided Trinamool factions and other political formations; opposition criticism followed Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s framing of the polls as a test for minorities.
Nandigram candidates
Party and candidate positions
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, and a rival Trinamool faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is also contesting.
Competing political aims
Congress nominee Milan Pradhan is backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool faction after its candidate withdrew.
- By-elections
- Five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency
- Regions
- Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry
- Tamil Nadu seats
- Madurantakam and Dharapuram
- West Bengal seats
- Nandigram and Rejinagar
- Assam seat
- Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency
- Puducherry seat
- Thattanchavady Assembly constituency
- TVK Assembly result
- The party won 108 seats, short of the 118 required for a majority, according to the article.