Five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency go to the polls as major parties test their electoral strength ahead of the next round of state-level political contests

Polling began on Tuesday across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry for five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat, putting several major political parties through an important electoral test. Voting is being held in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Nagaon in Assam and Thattanchavady in Puducherry.

The counting of votes is scheduled for October 9, with the Election Commission expected to complete the entire by-election process by October 11.

Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal

West Bengal is witnessing polling in two Assembly constituencies — Nandigram and Rejinagar — both of which have attracted considerable political attention.

The Nandigram seat became vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won from two constituencies in the state Assembly elections earlier this year and subsequently retained the other seat. The bypoll is therefore being watched closely as an opportunity to assess the political mood in a constituency that has remained electorally significant.

Rejinagar became vacant after Aam Janata Unnayan Party founder Humayun Kabir resigned from the Assembly. Kabir had won from both Rejinagar and Nowda and subsequently retained the latter constituency.

The results from the two seats could offer political parties an indication of their organisational strength and voter support following the Assembly elections.

Tamil Nadu Sees Multi-Cornered Contest

Tamil Nadu is holding bypolls in Madurantakam (SC) in Chengalpattu district and Dharapuram (SC) in Tiruppur district.

The Madurantakam seat fell vacant after the resignation of Maragatham Kumaravel, while Dharapuram became vacant following the resignation of P. Sathyabama.

The contests have turned into multi-cornered battles, with the ruling political formation facing competition from several allies and opposition parties.

In Madurantakam, TVK's Maragatham Kumaravel is contesting against DMK's Paranthaman, AIADMK's Kanitha Sampath, CPM's Suganthi and NTK's Janakiraman. A total of 28 candidates are in the fray.

Dharapuram is witnessing another closely watched contest, with TVK's P Sathyabama facing DMK's Suganya, AIADMK's Banumathi, CPI's Lakshmanan and NTK's Karthika.

Allies Contest Against Each Other

One of the notable features of the Tamil Nadu bypolls is the decision of CPI and CPM to contest separately against TVK, despite supporting the broader ruling formation.

The development highlights the complex nature of electoral alliances in the state, where parties can cooperate at the government or alliance level while maintaining separate political strategies during individual elections.

The outcome of the two constituencies could therefore have implications beyond the seats themselves, particularly for the balance between alliance politics and independent electoral positioning.

Nagaon Lok Sabha Seat Draws Attention

Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a three-way contest between the BJP, Congress and AIUDF.

The seat became vacant after Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi left the party, joined the BJP and later won the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

The Congress had won Nagaon in both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, making the bypoll particularly important for the party. The BJP is seeking to strengthen its position in the constituency, while the Congress will look to retain its traditional support base.

The BJP has nominated former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashish Sharma, while the Congress has fielded former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora.

AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has also entered the contest, adding another dimension to the electoral battle.

Puducherry Also Goes to the Polls

Voters in Puducherry are also casting their ballots in the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency.

Although the constituency is smaller than the Assam Lok Sabha seat, the result will be closely watched within the Union Territory because bypoll outcomes can influence the political balance and provide an early indication of voter sentiment between larger elections.

Results on October 9

The six contests collectively provide political parties with an opportunity to measure voter sentiment, test their organisational machinery and assess the effectiveness of their electoral strategies.

For the BJP, Congress, regional parties and alliance partners, the results will provide valuable political signals ahead of future Assembly and Lok Sabha contests.

While bypolls are limited in geographical scope, victories or defeats in politically significant constituencies can have a disproportionate impact on party narratives. A strong performance can strengthen claims of growing support, while an unexpected defeat can trigger internal reviews and renewed alliance discussions.

Voting will continue through the scheduled polling hours across the constituencies, with security arrangements and election machinery in place. The political focus will now shift towards voter turnout, the conduct of polling and, ultimately, the counting of votes on October 9.