Bypolls 2026: Voting today for 5 Assembly, 1 Lok Sabha seat across 4 states
Synopsis
Six seats — five Assembly, one Lok Sabha — go to bypolls on 6 October 2026 across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Assam. The Nandigram contest, where CM Suvendu Adhikari personally canvassed for the BJP nominee, carries the highest political charge. Results on 9 October will offer a first read on shifting ground in all four regions.
Key Takeaways
Bypolls are being held on 6 October 2026 for five Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat; results on 9 October .
Assembly seats: Nandigram and Rejinagar (West Bengal), Madurantakam and Dharapuram (Tamil Nadu), and Thattanchavady (Puducherry).
The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam fell vacant after the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi .
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari campaigned on foot in Nandigram for BJP candidate Hasirani Rath .
The ECI has mandated the use of EVMs and VVPATs at every polling station, with mandatory criminal-background disclosures by candidates and parties.
Bypolls to five Assembly constituencies across three states and the Union Territory of Puducherry, along with one Parliamentary constituency in Assam, are being held on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, with results scheduled for 9 October. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has confirmed the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) at all polling stations across the six constituencies.
Seats Going to the Poll
Polling is under way in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Thattanchavady in Puducherry. In addition, the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam is also seeing a bypoll today, making it the sole parliamentary seat at stake in this round.
Why These Seats Fell Vacant
The Nagaon Parliamentary seat in Assam fell vacant following the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi, according to an official statement from the ECI. In West Bengal, the Nandigram Assembly seat became vacant after the resignation of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while the Rejinagar seat was vacated by Humayun Kabir, chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party. The source documents do not specify the reasons for vacancies in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry seats.
Key Campaign Moments
Ahead of polling, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari conducted a foot march in Nandigram on Sunday in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hasirani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath — a former aide of Adhikari who was killed shortly after the Assembly election victory. The Nandigram contest is being closely watched given the constituency's charged political history and the Chief Minister's personal association with the seat.
ECI Safeguards and Transparency Norms
The ECI has reiterated that candidates with criminal antecedents are required to disclose their background through newspapers and television channels on three occasions during the campaign period. Political parties fielding such candidates must also publish the information on their official websites, in addition to the mandatory media disclosures. Electoral rolls in all four states were updated until the last date of nomination filing. The gazette notification for the by-elections was issued on 9 September, as per the ECI schedule.
What to Watch After Results
The outcomes on 9 October will be read as an early electoral barometer — particularly in West Bengal, where the ruling party's hold on Nandigram is both symbolically and politically significant, and in Assam, where the Nagaon Lok Sabha result will test the strength of party alliances at the parliamentary level. All eyes will be on whether the BJP retains momentum in the Hindi-belt-adjacent northern Bengal seat while managing its position in the south.
Point of View
And where a loyalist's mother now runs on the BJP ticket. A loss there would be read, rightly or wrongly, as a personal rebuke. Meanwhile, the Nagaon Lok Sabha result will test whether Assam's parliamentary arithmetic has shifted since the last general election. The ECI's transparency rules on criminal-background disclosure, while well-intentioned, have historically produced compliance-on-paper rather than genuine voter awareness — the real test of institutional accountability remains unmet.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which seats are going to bypolls on 6 October 2026?
Bypolls are being held for five Assembly seats — Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Thattanchavady in Puducherry — along with the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam. Results will be declared on 9 October 2026.
Why is the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat going to a bypoll?
The Nagaon Parliamentary constituency in Assam fell vacant following the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi, as confirmed by an official ECI statement. A bypoll was subsequently scheduled for 6 October 2026.
Why is the Nandigram bypoll politically significant?
Nandigram holds particular political significance because the seat was vacated by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari himself. Adhikari personally campaigned in the constituency, conducting a foot march on Sunday ahead of polling day in support of BJP candidate Hasirani Rath.
Are EVMs being used in the October 2026 bypolls?
Yes, the ECI has confirmed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) will be used at all polling stations across the six constituencies. The Commission stated that adequate machines have been made available for smooth conduct of the polls.
What are the disclosure rules for candidates with criminal records in these bypolls?
The ECI requires candidates with criminal antecedents to publish details of their background in newspapers and on television channels on three separate occasions during the campaign period. Political parties fielding such candidates must additionally post the information on their official websites.
