Bypoll results 2026: Counting begins for 5 Assembly seats, Nagaon LS today
Synopsis
Six constituencies, one dramatic withdrawal, and a governing party in Tamil Nadu that still lacks a majority — Friday's bypoll counting is more than routine. The Nandigram seat, where the TMC candidate pulled out at the last moment after her son's assassination, has become the most-watched contest, with the BJP widely expected to prevail. TVK's performance in two SC-reserved Tamil Nadu seats will be its first real electoral report card since forming government.
Key Takeaways
Counting is underway on 9 October 2026 for bypolls to five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat (Nagaon, Assam).
In Tamil Nadu , the Madurantakam and Dharapuram seats are the first electoral test for Chief Minister C.
Joseph Vijay's TVK government, which holds 108 of 118 seats needed for a majority.
In West Bengal , the Nandigram contest is favoured to go to BJP 's Hasi Rani Rath after TMC 's Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey is the mother of the late Chandranath Rath , personal assistant to CM Suvendu Adhikari , assassinated on 6 May in Madhyamgram .
Counting also covers Rejinagar (West Bengal), Thattanchavady (Puducherry), and Nagaon (Assam Lok Sabha).
Counting of votes for bypolls across five Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry, along with the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, is underway on Friday, 9 October 2026, with results expected to deliver a significant electoral signal for the parties involved. Postal ballots began being tallied from 8 am, followed by votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Tamil Nadu: TVK Government's First Electoral Test
In Tamil Nadu, counting is being held for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies — both reserved for Scheduled Castes. The seats went to the polls on 6 October after an intensive campaign involving senior leaders from both the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
The outcome carries particular weight for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, which came to power after winning 108 seats in the Assembly election — short of the 118 seats needed for a majority. A strong performance in these constituencies would bolster TVK's legislative standing and signal consolidation of its mandate.
Nandigram Bypoll: BJP Favourite After TMC Candidate's Withdrawal
In West Bengal, counting is taking place for the Nandigram seat in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district. Both constituencies held polling under unprecedented security arrangements.
The Nandigram contest has drawn the most attention after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), withdrew her nomination at the last moment. Her withdrawal has led political observers to anticipate a likely victory for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hasi Rani Rath.
Notably, Sanchita Pradhan Dey is the mother of the late Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated in Madhyamgram on 6 May. On Tuesday, Adhikari stated that Rath's victory margin in Nandigram could exceed the margin he had secured from the same constituency in 2016.
Puducherry and Assam Also in Focus
Counting is simultaneously underway for the Thattanchavady Assembly seat in Puducherry and the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. The Nagaon result is being watched closely as a gauge of the ruling party's continued support in the Brahmaputra Valley region.
What the Results Could Signal
Bypolls rarely overturn national political alignments, but they frequently serve as the first credible post-election stress test for governing parties. For TVK in Tamil Nadu, holding or gaining these SC-reserved seats would strengthen its coalition arithmetic. In West Bengal, the Nandigram outcome — given the dramatic TMC withdrawal — is being interpreted less as a competitive race and more as a referendum on political atmospherics in the state. The results are expected to be declared through the course of Friday.
Point of View
Making these two SC-reserved seats something close to a confidence test. A loss in either would embolden the Opposition and complicate floor arithmetic. In West Bengal, the Nandigram story is less about the BJP's strength and more about the TMC's strategic miscalculation: fielding the mother of an assassinated aide and then withdrawing her nomination sends a confusing signal about the party's capacity to manage its own candidate pipeline. Bypolls rarely shift power, but they consistently reveal which governing parties are consolidating and which are already losing their footing.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which constituencies are going to count votes today in the 2026 bypolls?
Counting is being held on 9 October 2026 for Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Thattanchavady in Puducherry, and the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam — a total of five Assembly and one parliamentary constituency.
Why is the Nandigram bypoll considered significant?
The Nandigram bypoll gained attention after TMC candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey — mother of the late Chandranath Rath, who was assassinated in May — withdrew her nomination at the last moment, leaving BJP's Hasi Rani Rath as the likely frontrunner according to political observers.
Why do the Tamil Nadu bypolls matter for the TVK government?
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's TVK government came to power with 108 seats, short of the 118 needed for a majority. Winning Madurantakam and Dharapuram — both SC-reserved constituencies — would strengthen TVK's legislative position and validate its post-election consolidation.
What is the significance of the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll?
The Nagaon constituency in Assam is a parliamentary seat, making it the only Lok Sabha bypoll in this round. Its result will be watched as an indicator of the ruling party's support in the Brahmaputra Valley region of Assam.
When did polling take place for these bypolls?
Voting in the Tamil Nadu constituencies was held on 6 October 2026. Counting for all six seats began on 9 October 2026, with postal ballots tallied first from 8 am, followed by EVM counts.
