Voting began at 7 am on Tuesday for six by-elections spread across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. The polling covers five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat, with the results scheduled to be declared on October 9.
The bypolls are attracting attention because several contests involve prominent political parties and could provide an indication of their current electoral strength following the 2026 general and Assembly elections.
Six Constituencies Go to the Polls
In West Bengal, voters are casting ballots in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Nandigram is particularly significant because it has been closely associated with major political contests in the state. The seat became vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chose to retain another constituency after winning from two seats in the 2026 Assembly election.
Rejinagar is witnessing a separate multi-cornered contest after its previous representative, Humayun Kabir, retained another seat.
In Tamil Nadu, polling is taking place in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies. Both seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes. The contests are also being watched closely because they represent an early electoral test for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) under actor-turned-politician Vijay.
Assam’s Nagaon Seat Sees Lok Sabha Bypoll
Assam is holding the only Lok Sabha by-election among the six contests. Voting is underway in the Nagaon parliamentary constituency.
The seat fell vacant after Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from Parliament and subsequently contested the Assembly election from Dispur on a BJP ticket. The contest has therefore become an important battle between major political forces in the state.
Although the result will not alter the balance of power in the Lok Sabha, the outcome could provide political signals for both the BJP and Congress in Assam.
Puducherry Government Faces a Test
In Puducherry, voters are deciding the Thattanchavady Assembly seat. The vacancy was created after Chief Minister N Rangasamy resigned from the constituency.
The election is consequently being viewed as an early test of public sentiment toward the recently formed NDA government led by Rangasamy. The contest involves the ruling alliance as well as opposition parties.
Security Arrangements in Place
Polling authorities have deployed security personnel across the constituencies to maintain order during voting. Voters began arriving at polling stations before the opening of voting, with queues reported at several locations.
The Election Commission had scheduled these bypolls for October 6, with counting set for October 9. The elections became necessary after elected representatives vacated the seats following the 2026 electoral cycle.
Why These Bypolls Matter
The six elections do not individually determine the balance of power at the national level, but they carry considerable political significance.
For the BJP, Congress and regional parties, the results will offer an opportunity to assess whether their support bases have strengthened or weakened since the larger elections. Tamil Nadu's contests are particularly notable because of TVK's emergence as a political force, while Nandigram remains a closely watched constituency in West Bengal.
With polling underway and counting scheduled for October 9, attention will now turn to voter turnout and the final verdict in each of the six constituencies.
