Campaign ends for high-stakes bypolls across three States and one U.T.
The campaign for a clutch of high-stakes byelections in four regions drew to a close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2026, setting the stage for polling on Tuesday, October 6. Voters in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry will elect representatives to five Assembly seats, while Assam’s Nagaon will choose a new Lok Sabha member. Counting across all constituencies is scheduled for Friday, October 9.
Assam: Triangular contest shapes Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll
In Assam, Nagaon heads into a closely watched Lok Sabha bypoll where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) are the principal contenders. The Muslim-majority constituency has about 19.07 lakh voters. A total of 15 candidates, including nine independents, are in the fray.
The BJP has fielded former bureaucrat Devasish Sharma, the Congress has nominated former MLA Sibamoni Bora, and the AIUDF’s candidate is Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal, an MLA and the party’s chief. The bypoll was triggered after Pradyut Bordoloi, who had retained Nagaon for the Congress for a second consecutive term in 2024, resigned from the party, joined the BJP ahead of the April 2026 Assembly election, and won the Dispur Assembly seat.
The campaign in Nagaon saw high-voltage rallies and roadshows, sharp exchanges among rivals and even pointed references to food habits. Clashes—largely between BJP and Congress workers—were reported during the run-up.
West Bengal: Stormy build-up in Nandigram and Rejinagar
West Bengal is set for bypolls in two Assembly constituencies—Nandigram and Rejinagar—after a tumultuous campaign that repeatedly spilled into controversy.
In high-profile Nandigram, the contest was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won two seats in the State elections earlier this year, chose to vacate this constituency. He had defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency and opted to retain that seat.
The Nandigram campaign turned particularly contentious when the Mamata Trinamool Congress candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the race after meeting Mr. Adhikari. Following that development, Ms. Banerjee announced support for the Congress nominee, Milan Pradhan, who was subsequently arrested in connection with a 2007 agitation against land acquisition. Mr. Pradhan received bail from the Calcutta High Court on September 28, ten days after his arrest. The BJP has named Hasirai Rath as its candidate, while the Left Front and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress are also contesting.
In Rejinagar, the bypoll was called after former Minister and Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) leader Humayun Kabir vacated the seat, having also won from Nowda. The BJP, Congress, AJUP and two factions of the Trinamool Congress are in the contest, setting up a multi-cornered fight.
Tamil Nadu: Multi-cornered battles in Madurantakam and Dharapuram
In Tamil Nadu, voters in Madurantakam (SC) in Chengalpattu district and Dharapuram (SC) in Tiruppur will pick new MLAs. The seats fell vacant after Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, who were elected on All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) tickets, resigned on May 25, 2026—within three weeks of the Assembly results—and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The bypolls have shaped into a five-cornered contest. The TVK leads the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance, while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) heads the Secular Progressive Alliance. The AIADMK spearheads the National Democratic Alliance, the Left front is fighting separately, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi is contesting alone.
On the final day of campaigning, TVK president and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay led a roadshow in Dharapuram, including a bullock-cart ride alongside party leaders KG Arunraj and C. Vijayabaskar. The DMK mounted an extensive push in both segments, with former Ministers camping in the constituencies and supervising poll preparations.
Puducherry: Thattanchavady vote after CM vacates seat
Thattanchavady in the Union Territory of Puducherry will also vote on Tuesday. The seat became vacant after Chief Minister and All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) founder N. Rangasamy chose to retain Mangalam—another constituency he won in the April 2026 Assembly polls—and vacated Thattanchavady. The bypoll there is a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, DMK, AINRC and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
What comes next
With campaigning over, focus now shifts to polling on October 6 across all six constituencies. The counting of votes is slated for October 9, when the outcomes in Nagaon, Nandigram, Rejinagar, Madurantakam, Dharapuram and Thattanchavady will be declared, capping a brisk and contentious round of bypolls with implications for regional political alignments.
