Following a decisive round of multi-state by-elections held on October 6, 2026, counting on October 9 reveals significant breakthroughs for the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal and Assam, alongside strong showings for regional forces in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Historic BJP Victories in Nandigram and Rejinagar Upend West Bengal Politics
West Bengal’s political landscape shifted dramatically as the Bharatiya Janata Party secured record-breaking margins in the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly by-elections. In Nandigram, the BJP candidate surpassed previous electoral margins with a substantial victory. Meanwhile, the contest in Rejinagar defied conventional political expectations in a region with a substantial minority electorate.
The voting took place under tight security on October 6, following vacancies created after the assembly elections prompted representatives to vacate secondary seats. Suvendu Adhikari addressed the unexpected inroads made in Muslim-majority pockets during the count, pointing to shifting voter alignment.
Election authorities deployed comprehensive security protocols for the polling process across the state’s constituencies, including Purba Medinipur and Murshidabad districts. In Rejinagar, where administration figures confirmed a voter turnout of roughly 78.42 to 80 percent, administrative measures included the detention of local political figures amid voting day tensions. Am Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir was taken into police custody during the polling hours, while regional opponents raised objections and demanded fresh voting due to alleged disruptions.
The Nandigram vacancy emerged after Suvendu Adhikari retained his Bhabanipur seat, leaving the seat previously won in 2021 open for a fresh contest. The ruling party selected Hasirani Rath, the mother of Adhikari’s late personal assistant Chandranath Rath, to contest the seat. Early and continuing round counts showed Rath pulling far ahead of opposition contenders, including Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and various left-wing and dissident figures. Similar dynamic shifts played out in Rejinagar, where Sakharav Sarkar outpaced opponents that included Humayun Kabir’s son Ghulam Nabi Azad representing the AJUP, alongside candidates from the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.
“We have built a friendship.”
Suvendu Adhikari, via ANI
Assam Parliamentary Contest and Puducherry Outcomes
Beyond West Bengal, attention centered on the lone parliamentary contest in Assam. In the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, former IAS officer and BJP candidate Debashish Sharma built a commanding lead over rival candidates, outpacing opposition figures from the AIUDF and Congress.
The Nagaon parliamentary seat encompasses 2,307 polling stations and an electorate totaling 19,01,899 voters. The vacancy in Assam came about following the resignation of former Congress parliamentarian Pradyut Bordoloi, who subsequently aligned with the BJP and secured election to the state assembly from Dispur earlier in the year. Electoral monitoring data showed Debashish Sharma extending his vote tally significantly over AIUDF challenger Mohammad Badruddin Ajmal and Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora as the counting rounds progressed.
In the Union Territory of Puducherry, the electoral outcome arrived swiftly. AINRC candidate Ashok Anand won the Thattanchavady seat, defeating his Congress opponent by a margin of 8,482 votes after securing 13,358 total ballots.
Rangasamy relinquished the Thattanchavady seat after retaining his alternative victory in the Mangalam constituency during the April assembly elections. Vinayagam trailing behind Anand’s winning count.
Tamil Nadu Regional Electoral Tests for TVK
Voters in Tamil Nadu delivered early indicators for political newcomer Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies. Following regional leadership shifts earlier in the year, the party faced its inaugural electoral trial at the ballot box.
Election Commission figures tracked steady leads for TVK candidates across both reserved segments. Sathyabama maintained her standing in Dharapuram against challengers from the DMK and AIADMK as counting clerks processed the remaining EVM rounds.
Official polling statistics recorded robust voter participation across both reserved Tamil Nadu constituencies, with Madurantakam reaching 83.86 percent and Dharapuram registering 78.53 percent by late afternoon on election day.
Sathyabama from Dharapuram, resigned their assembly seats to align with TVK. Regional opponents from the DMK and AIADMK closely monitored the counts, seeking to reclaim ground lost during previous assembly contests, while opposition spokespersons raised questions regarding administrative neutrality as the counting process advanced.
