Nandigram, Rejinagar, Madurantakam, Dharapuram, Thattanchavady and Nagaon go to polls on October 6, with results due on October 9
New Delhi, October 2026: Six by-elections across three states and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be held on Tuesday, October 6, bringing a series of closely watched contests that could provide an early indication of emerging political equations following recent Assembly elections. Polling will be held in five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat, with counting scheduled for October 9.
The Assembly constituencies going to polls are Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Thattanchavady in Puducherry. Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency will also vote in the bypoll. The vacancies arose after elected representatives who had won from more than one constituency chose to retain one seat and vacated the other.
Bengal Faces First Test After BJP Government Takes Office
West Bengal will attract particular attention, with Nandigram and Rejinagar going to the polls for the first electoral contest since the BJP formed the government in the state after the recent Assembly elections.
Nandigram carries an additional political significance because of its history as a major electoral battleground. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who was killed shortly after the Assembly election results were declared. The campaign has seen active participation by senior BJP leaders, including Adhikari.
The Opposition contest in Nandigram is fragmented. The Trinamool Congress faction led by Mamata Banerjee withdrew its candidate and extended support to Congress nominee Milan Pradhan. Pradhan, who had been arrested in connection with old criminal cases, was later granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court, allowing him to campaign ahead of the October 6 polling. The Left, Indian Secular Front and Democratic Trinamool Congress are also contesting the seat.
Rejinagar in Murshidabad district is also witnessing a multi-cornered contest involving the BJP, Congress, the two Trinamool factions and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party. The seat fell vacant after AJUP leader Humayun Kabir retained Nowda, having won both constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu Contest Tests New Political Alignment
Tamil Nadu presents a different political scenario in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. The bypolls follow the departure of former AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, who are contesting again on the tickets of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK.
Both constituencies are witnessing four-cornered contests involving the TVK, DMK, AIADMK and CPI. Madurantakam has 27 candidates in the fray, while Dharapuram has 30. The large number of candidates could result in a wider distribution of votes and make turnout an important factor.
The contests are also being watched for the response to the TVK’s expanding electoral presence and the ability of established parties to retain their support bases.
Puducherry, Assam Add to Bypoll Picture
In Puducherry, the Thattanchavady Assembly bypoll will provide another test of the political balance involving the ruling alliance and Opposition parties. The constituency is among the five Assembly seats going to polls on October 6.
In Assam, the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll adds a parliamentary dimension to Tuesday’s voting. The contest is being closely watched as parties seek to translate broader electoral support into a constituency-level mandate.
Across the six constituencies, the bypolls are significant not only because of the individual seats but also because they come at a time when political equations are being recalibrated in several states.
The results on October 9 will offer a clearer picture of how voters have responded to the new political circumstances in these constituencies. The contests will also be watched for shifts in Opposition strategies, the performance of regional parties and the ability of newly formed or newly strengthened political alliances to convert organisational momentum into votes.
For the Election Commission, polling across the five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat will mark another round of electoral exercises, with the entire process scheduled to be completed by October 11.
