Voting in high-stakes bypolls in three States, one U.T. today | LIVE

In Assam’s Nagaon, where the Lok Sabha byelection will be held, the fight is expected to be between the ruling BJP, the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front

Updated - October 06, 2026 07:09 am IST

Polling officials check Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other polling materials at a distribution centre before leaving for their respective polling booths on the eve of the Nagaon Lok Sabha Bypoll, in Nagaon on October 5, 2026 | Photo Credit: ANI

Voting will take place today (October 6, 2026) for byelections to five Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, as well as to one Lok Sabha constituency in Assam.

In West Bengal, bypolls will be held in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies. In the high-profile Nandigram constituency, the election was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won two seats in the State elections earlier this year and decided to vacate this one. In Rejinagar, the BJP, Congress, the AJUP, as well as the two factions of the Trinamool Congress, are contesting.

Also read | 19,000 West Bengal voters to miss bypolls as appeals remain pending in tribunals

In Tamil Nadu, the Assembly constituencies going to the polls are Madurantakam (SC) in Chengalpattu district and Dharapuram (SC) in Tiruppur. The two Assembly segments were declared vacant following the resignation of Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama. The Thattanchavady Assembly constituency in the Union Territory of Puducherry will also go to the polls

In Assam’s Nagaon, where the Lok Sabha byelection will be held, the fight is expected to be between the ruling BJP, the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front.

The counting of votes is scheduled for Friday (October 9, 2026).

AJUP chief Humayun Kabir said the BJP has no chance of winning the Rejinagar byelection in West Bengal.

“Regarding the Rejinagar constituency—when I contested the election there on April 23, 2026, I alone secured 1,24,000 votes. Now, a by-election is taking place. There is no possibility of a 93% voter turnout this time. So, how will the voting go? Let the day end, and you will find out the turnout percentage... The BJP has no chance. They are scared,” he said.

Nearly 19,000 voters in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies, where byelections are being held on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), are among the 38.31 lakh voters in West Bengal who remain disenfranchised due to the crawling pace of work at the Appellate Tribunals where their cases are pending.

19,000 West Bengal voters to miss bypolls as appeals remain pending in tribunals

19,000 West Bengal voters risk missing bypolls as Appellate Tribunals’ slow pace leaves 38 lakh appeals pending.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had notified byelections to only two constituencies – Dharapuram and Madurantakam – in Tamil Nadu, even as five other constituencies remain vacant.

Tamil Nadu byelections: why only two out of seven vacant constituencies are going to polls?

Tamil Nadu bypolls: Only two seats go to polls now as petitions delay five other constituencies and EC awaits resolved petitions.

The Thattanchavady bypoll will be a test of popularity for the four month-old NDA government led by veteran N Rangasamy, whose resignation from this seat necessitated the electoral exercise.

All arrangements are in place for polling which will be held from 7 am-6 pm, officials said.

Although a total of 11 candidates are in fray, the battle is being seen as a 3-cornered one between ruling AINRC-led NDA, the Congress and its former ally DMK.

While AINRC founder and CM Rangasamy has nominated Ashok Anand on behalf of the ruling party and its led coalition, Congress has fielded E Vinayagam, who has the backing of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), which is in the ruling saddle in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

The Election Commission on Monday (October 5, 2026) replaced the officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station, a day before the bypoll to the Assembly Constituency in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, a senior official said.

Debashis Sarkar was appointed in place of incumbent Ajay Kumar Mishra, he said.

The replacement came after Opposition parties complained to the Election Commission, alleging that Mr. Mishra was close to the ruling party. Mr. Mishra had been posted as the IC of Nandigram police station ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

The stage is set for a triangular contest in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam, with the ruling BJP seeking to expand its base in this Muslim-majority constituency, and the Congress going all out to retain the seat by keeping its minority support base intact.