Bypolls Underway Across Six Seats in Four States, Results to Be Declared on October 9

Voting began on Tuesday, October 6, for by-elections to five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam. The polling is being closely watched as the contests involve several prominent political parties and come months after the respective state and national elections. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.

In West Bengal, voters are casting ballots in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies. Nandigram is among the most closely watched contests, with BJP candidate Hasirani Rath facing Congress nominee Milan Pradhan, a candidate from a rival Trinamool Congress faction and CPI’s Santigopal Giri. The constituency has a politically significant history, having been associated with the land acquisition movement that helped the Trinamool Congress expand its influence in the state.

Voting in Nandigram began amid tight security, with central forces and state police personnel deployed across polling stations. The constituency has more than 2.66 lakh registered voters and 323 polling booths, including several identified as highly sensitive. Rejinagar, meanwhile, has witnessed a multi-cornered contest involving candidates from the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, BJP, Trinamool Congress, Congress and CPI(M).

Tamil Nadu is witnessing bypolls in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies. Both seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. The vacancies arose after the resignation of former AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Satyabama, who subsequently joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Both are contesting the bypolls again as TVK candidates, while the DMK and AIADMK have also fielded candidates.

In Puducherry, polling is taking place in the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency. The election is being viewed as an early test for the NDA government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy. The contest involves the ruling AINRC-led alliance, Congress and the DMK, among other candidates.

The Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam is also voting on Tuesday. The seat has a triangular contest involving the BJP, Congress and All India United Democratic Front. BJP candidate Devashish Sharma, former Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal are among the principal contenders in the constituency.