Bypoll results 2026: BJP springs surprise in Bengal's Rejinagar, ruling parties lead elsewhere
Synopsis
In a bypoll result that defied conventional wisdom, the BJP is leading in West Bengal's Rejinagar — a constituency where Muslims make up over 70 per cent of voters and which has historically been decided along demographic lines. Combined with comfortable wins for ruling parties in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, the 2026 byelection sweep signals a significant shift in ground-level political dynamics.
Key Takeaways
BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar was leading by over 75,800 votes in Rejinagar , West Bengal — a Muslim-majority seat exceeding 70% of the electorate.
BJP's Hasi Rani Rath won Nandigram by a margin of over 1.2 lakh votes ; BJP's Devasish Sharma led in Nagaon (Assam) by 1.6 lakh votes .
AINRC's Ashok Anand won Thattanchavady (Puducherry) by 8,482 votes , retaining the seat for Chief Minister Natesan Rangaswamy's party.
TVK led by ~67,000 votes in Dharapuram and ~58,000 votes in Madurantakam in Tamil Nadu .
The Trinamool Congress — already fragmented after its Assembly poll defeat this year — polled under 4,000 votes in Rejinagar across its two factions combined.
Ruling parties across three states and one Union Territory are headed for comfortable wins in the 2026 bypolls, with counting on Friday, 9 October nearing completion for five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency. The most striking result came from West Bengal's Rejinagar, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared poised for an unexpected victory in a constituency where Muslims comprise over 70 per cent of the electorate.
Key Developments Across Constituencies
In Assam, the BJP's candidate Devasish Sharma was leading by a convincing margin of 1.6 lakh votes in the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. The seat had fallen vacant after Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi — who had won it in both 2019 and 2024 — defected to the BJP and subsequently won from Dispur in this year's Assembly elections.
In the Union Territory of Puducherry, the ruling All India N. R. Congress (AINRC) retained the Thattanchavady seat. Ashok Anand won by a margin of 8,482 votes over his nearest rival E. Vinayagam of the Congress. The seat had been vacated by Chief Minister Natesan Rangaswamy, who chose to retain Mangalam — a seat he had won simultaneously in the earlier Assembly elections this year.
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was leading by close to 67,000 votes in Dharapuram after all 23 rounds of counting, and ahead by approximately 58,000 votes in Madurantakam after 17 of 21 rounds. TVK had emerged as the single-largest party in this year's Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, forming a coalition government.
BJP's Surprise in West Bengal's Rejinagar
The standout result of the day came from Rejinagar in West Bengal, where BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar was leading by over 75,800 votes. This is a constituency historically shaped by demographic realities — its Muslim-majority electorate, exceeding 70 per cent, had long made it a stronghold for parties with community support.
The seat's previous occupant, Humayun Kabir — the controversial founder of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and known for commissioning a Babri Masjid replica — had stepped down to retain Nowda. His son Golam Nabi Azad had previously failed to hold Rejinagar for the AJUP in a subsequent by-election. Notably, when Kabir first won from Rejinagar, he had secured 51.62 per cent of the total votes polled.
Analysts suggest the BJP's performance reflects a broader trend: sections of the Muslim community reportedly signalling acceptance of the BJP government as a potential development partner. The fragmentation of opposition forces following the ruling Trinamool Congress's Assembly poll defeat this year has also played a role, according to political observers.
Historical Context: How Rejinagar Has Voted
Since delimitation and the polls of 2011, the Rejinagar seat has consistently been decided along demographic lines. Humayun Kabir, then a Congress candidate, won the seat in 2011, defeating Serajul Islam Mondal of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP). After Kabir joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Congress retained the seat in the 2013 by-election through Rabiul Alam Chowdhury. Chowdhury retained it again in 2016, defeating Kabir who contested as an independent. In 2021, the BJP surged to second position but still lost to Chowdhury — by then a Trinamool candidate — by over 68,000 votes.
Notably, BJP's Hasi Rani Rath was declared the winner from Nandigram by a margin exceeding 1.2 lakh votes. Nandigram — the constituency that catalysed former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's political rise — saw her candidate withdraw mid-race, with a rival faction managing just 853 votes.
TMC's Fragmentation and What Comes Next
The results underscore the fragmented state of the Trinamool Congress following its defeat in the Assembly elections earlier this year. In Rejinagar, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress faction polled fewer than 4,000 votes, while the Democratic Trinamool Congress managed just over 2,000. Prior to the bypoll, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had predicted a change in Rejinagar, pledging development for the region.
With BJP consolidating its position in Bengal's bypolls and ruling parties reinforcing their hold elsewhere, these results are likely to shape political calculations ahead of the next round of state elections across India.
Point of View
But because it challenges the foundational assumption that Muslim-majority constituencies in Bengal are effectively inaccessible to the BJP. If the margin holds, it suggests the opposition's post-election fragmentation has created a vacuum the BJP is filling on development optics alone. However, analysts attributing this to Muslim community 'acceptance' of the BJP must contend with a simpler explanation: when the alternative is a fractured AJUP and a collapsed Trinamool, a protest vote can look like a mandate. The durability of this shift will only become clear at the next general election.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Rejinagar bypoll in West Bengal 2026?
BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar was leading by over 75,800 votes in Rejinagar — a significant surprise given that Muslims comprise over 70 per cent of the constituency's electorate. The seat had historically been decided along demographic lines, and the BJP had lost there by over 68,000 votes as recently as 2021.
Which constituencies went to by-elections in October 2026?
Six constituencies held by-elections: Nagaon (Lok Sabha, Assam), Nandigram and Rejinagar (West Bengal), Dharapuram and Madurantakam (Tamil Nadu), and Thattanchavady (Puducherry). Counting took place on 9 October 2026.
Who won the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam?
BJP candidate Devasish Sharma was leading by a margin of 1.6 lakh votes in the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. The seat had fallen vacant after Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi joined the BJP and won from Dispur in this year's Assembly elections.
Why did the Trinamool Congress perform poorly in the West Bengal bypolls?
The Trinamool Congress has fragmented following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year, splitting into multiple factions. In Rejinagar, the two Trinamool factions together polled fewer than 6,000 votes combined, reflecting the party's weakened organisational state.
What is the historical significance of the Rejinagar constituency?
Rejinagar has been a Muslim-majority seat since delimitation and polling in 2011, with results historically shaped by demographic factors. It was previously held by Humayun Kabir — founder of the AJUP and known for building a Babri Masjid replica — before he vacated it to contest Nowda. The BJP had never won here before.
