High-stakes bypolls: Voting begins across 6 seats in 3 states, 1 UT
Voting has commenced for six critical by-elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Assam, featuring intense multi-cornered contests.
The political atmosphere across several Indian regions has intensified as voting commenced early Tuesday for six crucial by-elections. Spanning three states—West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam—along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, these polls are being watched closely as they reflect shifting political loyalties and internal party dynamics.
West Bengal: Nandigram and Rejinagar in Focus
In West Bengal, the electoral battle is centered on two Assembly constituencies: Nandigram and Rejinagar.
The Nandigram seat became vacant following the recent State Assembly elections, where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari secured victories from two different constituencies and opted to retain the latter, leaving this seat open for contest.
Meanwhile, the Rejinagar seat fell vacant after the resignation of Humayun Kabir, the founder of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), who had previously won from the Nowda constituency.
Tamil Nadu: A Five-Cornered Battle Emerges
Tamil Nadu is witnessing a highly complex electoral landscape in the Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) constituencies. Both seats became vacant following the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, respectively.
The contests have evolved into intense five-cornered fights, revealing significant fractures within the ruling political structure. While the CPI and CPM are providing support to the TVK government, they have chosen to contest these bypolls independently.
Madurantakam and Dharapuram Breakdown
- Madurantakam (Chengalpattu district): A massive field of 28 candidates is vying for the seat. The TVK candidate, Maragatham Kumaravel, faces stiff competition from the DMK's Paranthaman, AIADMK's Kanitha Sampath, CPM's Suganthi, and NTK's Janakiraman.
- Dharapuram (Tiruppur district): The TVK's P. Sathyabama is locked in a battle against the DMK's Suganya, AIADMK's Banumathi, CPI's Lakshmanan, and NTK's Karthika.
Assam: The Nagaon Lok Sabha Showdown
In Assam, the focus shifts to the parliamentary level with the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll. This seat, which was previously held by the Congress in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections, became vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi transitioned from Congress to the BJP and subsequently won the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 elections.
The contest in Nagaon has turned into a high-profile three-way fight:
- BJP: Fielded former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashish Sharma.
- Congress: Nominated former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora.
- AIUDF: The entry of AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has significantly raised the stakes of the election.
Puducherry: Thattanchavady Polling
In the Union Territory of Puducherry, voters are heading to the booths for the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency. This election is part of a larger scheduled electoral cycle that the Election Commission aims to wrap up shortly.
Key Election Dates
According to the Election Commission, the counting of votes for these various constituencies is scheduled to take place on October 9. The entire electoral process for these bypolls is expected to be fully concluded before October 11.