Counting of votes in six by-elections held across four states and Union Territory of Puducherry on October 6 brought fresh political attention to West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam on Friday, October 9. The contests cover five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency, with the results expected to fill vacancies created after sitting representatives resigned or chose to retain other seats.
The political picture emerging from counting reports published during the day showed BJP candidates leading in both West Bengal constituencies—Nandigram and Rejinagar—and in Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. In Tamil Nadu, candidates of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam were reported ahead in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. Puducherry’s Thattanchavady seat produced a confirmed win for AINRC candidate Ashok Anand, according to reported Election Commission figures.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: Counting of votes for six by-elections across four states and a Union Territory
Location: Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal; Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu; Thattanchavady in Puducherry; Nagaon in Assam.
Authority/Organisation: Election Commission of India and the respective Returning Officers.
Action Taken: Votes were counted on October 9 following polling on October 6.
Impact: The results fill five Assembly vacancies and one Lok Sabha vacancy and provide constituency-level indications of support for the contesting parties. Final political assessments require confirmed results and margins.
The figures in this report reflect published counting updates available during the afternoon of October 9. They should not be treated as final results for constituencies where the Election Commission has not confirmed the outcome. Counting-round totals and margins can change until all rounds are completed and the Returning Officer declares the result.
West Bengal: Nandigram and Rejinagar in Focus
Nandigram and Rejinagar attracted attention because of their political significance and the different contests taking place in the two constituencies.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
By-elections can reveal how voters respond to local candidates, party switches and political alliances between major elections. The Tamil Nadu contests are particularly relevant because former AIADMK legislators contested again under the TVK banner. In West Bengal, the results will determine representation in two constituencies that attracted significant campaign attention. The Nagaon result will decide representation in the Lok Sabha. These outcomes should be understood constituency by constituency. A bypoll result is not automatically evidence of a statewide or national shift in voter preference.
In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath was reported to have built a substantial lead over Congress candidate Milan Pradhan during counting. The constituency became vacant after Suvendu Adhikari retained Bhabanipur following the 2026 Assembly election.
Rejinagar also saw BJP candidate Shankharav Sarkar establish a considerable lead in published counting updates. The contest includes candidates from the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, Congress and other political groups. The seat became vacant after Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir retained Nowda after winning both constituencies in the Assembly election.
The campaign had been contentious. Opposition parties raised allegations of electoral irregularities and demanded repolling, while the BJP rejected accusations against it. These claims remain allegations and should be distinguished from any findings formally made by election authorities.
The bypoll results will determine who represents the two constituencies in the Assembly. Their broader political significance should be assessed after the final results, turnout figures and any official decisions on complaints are available.
Assam: Nagaon Lok Sabha Bypoll
In Assam, BJP candidate Devasish Sharma was reported to be leading AIUDF chief Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal in the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election. Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora was also in the contest.
The seat became vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from Nagaon after winning the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 state election. The bypoll therefore concerns representation in the Lok Sabha rather than the state Assembly.
The contest brings the BJP, AIUDF and Congress into a direct electoral test in the constituency. The final vote margin and result will be necessary to assess the scale of the mandate and the relative performance of the candidates.
Tamil Nadu: TVK Candidates Lead in Two Seats
Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly by-elections have drawn attention because the TVK candidates were among the leading contenders during counting.
The seats had been held by AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, who later joined TVK and resigned. TVK re-nominated them for the by-elections, while the AIADMK and DMK fielded their own candidates.
Counting reports during the afternoon indicated that the TVK candidates had moved ahead in both constituencies. However, the precise margins should be refreshed from the Election Commission’s constituency-level results pages before publication.
The outcomes are relevant to Tamil Nadu’s changing party alignments, particularly because the contests involve candidates who moved from the AIADMK to the ruling TVK. The final results will show whether those candidates retained electoral support in their constituencies after changing political affiliations.
Puducherry: AINRC Wins Thattanchavady
AINRC candidate Ashok Anand won the Thattanchavady Assembly by-election in Puducherry, with a reported victory margin of 8,482 votes. The result was reported from Election Commission figures.
The constituency became vacant after Chief Minister N. Rangasamy chose to retain Mangalam, another seat he had won in the Assembly election. Congress and DMK candidates also contested Thattanchavady.
The result fills the vacant Assembly seat and gives the AINRC another representative from the constituency. It should be reported separately from the counting trends in the other five constituencies, where the status must be checked for final confirmation.
What the Results Could Mean
The by-elections do not, by themselves, determine the political direction of an entire state. Each contest is shaped by local candidates, constituency issues, party alliances and the circumstances that led to the vacancy.
The BJP’s reported leads in the two West Bengal seats and Nagaon, alongside TVK’s leads in Tamil Nadu, offer several distinct political developments rather than a single uniform national trend. The final margins, turnout data and constituency-level results will provide a more reliable basis for assessing the outcomes.
For readers, the key distinction is between a lead during counting and a declared victory. The Election Commission’s results portal notes that figures are entered by Returning Officers at counting centres and that final data is shared through Form 20. Any later update should therefore use the official final result wherever it is available.
