Counting of votes for by-elections in Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began at 8 am on Friday. Officials said counting started with postal ballots before moving to EVMs. Security stayed tight at all centres. The October 6 by-election in Assam recorded a voter turnout of 76.19 per cent overall.
**Counting begins for bypolls in Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry** Counting of votes for by-elections to the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam and five Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began at 8 am on Friday amid tight security. Officials said counting began with postal ballots, followed by votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In West Bengal, Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots (ETPB) were also taken up before the EVM count. In Assam, counting for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is being held at two centres -- Dawson Higher Secondary School and Government Boys' School in Nagaon -- with 14 tables at each centre. Security has been tightened at both locations, and candidates and political parties have been directed to obtain permission from the district administration before taking out processions. The main contest is among BJP candidate Devasish Sharma, a former IAS officer, Congress nominee and former MLA Sibamoni Bora, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. A total of 15 candidates were in the fray. The October 6 by-election recorded a voter turnout of 76.19 per cent. The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and successfully contested the Assembly elections from Dispur on a BJP ticket earlier this year. The result will not affect the balance of power in the Lok Sabha. Nagaon has 19.05 lakh electors, including 9.43 lakh women and 50 third-gender voters, who were eligible to vote across 2,312 polling stations. In West Bengal, counting began for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls, marking the first electoral test for the BJP since it came to power in the state in May this year. Counting in both constituencies is being conducted in two halls and is scheduled to be completed in 15 rounds. Separate halls have been earmarked for postal ballots and ETPB votes. The results are not expected to affect the government's majority, as the BJP won 207 of the 294 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections. Nandigram and Rejinagar recorded voter turnouts of 80.89 per cent and 80.08 per cent, respectively, during polling on Tuesday. The Election Commission had described the polling as "more or less peaceful". Opposition parties, however, alleged voter intimidation, irregularities at polling booths and the removal of their polling agents, and demanded fresh polling. The BJP rejected the allegations, maintaining that polling had been peaceful. The arrest of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir following a confrontation with police in Rejinagar was among the major incidents during polling. The by-election was necessitated after Kabir vacated the seat and retained Nowda. The results are being watched for indications of the BJP's performance after it ended the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state, as well as the evolving Opposition landscape amid a split within the TMC and the presence of multiple political formations. In Nandigram, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had defeated TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections and won the seat again in 2026 before retaining Bhabanipur, necessitating the bypoll. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, while Congress nominee Milan Pradhan is backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction after its candidate withdrew. A rival TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is also contesting the seat. In Rejinagar, the candidates include BJP's Sakharav Sarkar, Mamata-led TMC nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, rival TMC candidate Safiuzzaman Sheikh, Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, CPI(M)'s Syed Asad Ali and AJUP nominee Golam Nabi Azad, son of Humayun Kabir. In Tamil Nadu, counting is under way for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, both seats reserved for Scheduled Castes. In neighbouring Puducherry, votes are being counted for the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency. The by-elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were necessitated by the resignation of the incumbent MLAs, including Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy from Thattanchavady. The contests are being watched by the ruling TVK in Tamil Nadu and the AINRC government in Puducherry, as well as Opposition parties seeking to assess their electoral standing. PTI
Counting of votes for by-elections to the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam and five Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began at 8 am on Friday amid tight security.
Officials said counting began with postal ballots, followed by votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In West Bengal, Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots (ETPB) were also taken up before the EVM count.
In Assam, counting for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is being held at two centres, Dawson Higher Secondary School and Government Boys' School in Nagaon -- with 14 tables at each centre. Security has been tightened at both locations, and candidates and political parties have been directed to obtain permission from the district administration before taking out processions.
The main contest is among BJP candidate Devasish Sharma, a former IAS officer, Congress nominee and former MLA Sibamoni Bora, and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. A total of 15 candidates were in the fray.
The October 6 by-election recorded a voter turnout of 76.19 per cent. The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and successfully contested the Assembly elections from Dispur on a BJP ticket earlier this year. The result will not affect the balance of power in the Lok Sabha.
Nagaon has 19.05 lakh electors, including 9.43 lakh women and 50 third-gender voters, who were eligible to vote across 2,312 polling stations.
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In West Bengal, counting began for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls, marking the first electoral test for the BJP since it came to power in the state in May this year.
Counting in both constituencies is being conducted in two halls and is scheduled to be completed in 15 rounds. Separate halls have been earmarked for postal ballots and ETPB votes.
The results are not expected to affect the government's majority, as the BJP won 207 of the 294 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Nandigram and Rejinagar recorded voter turnouts of 80.89 per cent and 80.08 per cent, respectively, during polling on Tuesday. The Election Commission had described the polling as "more or less peaceful".
Opposition parties, however, alleged voter intimidation, irregularities at polling booths and the removal of their polling agents, and demanded fresh polling. The BJP rejected the allegations, maintaining that polling had been peaceful.
The arrest of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir following a confrontation with police in Rejinagar was among the major incidents during polling. The by-election was necessitated after Kabir vacated the seat and retained Nowda.
The results are being watched for indications of the BJP's performance after it ended the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state, as well as the evolving Opposition landscape amid a split within the TMC and the presence of multiple political formations.
In Nandigram, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had defeated TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections and won the seat again in 2026 before retaining Bhabanipur, necessitating the bypoll.
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The BJP had fielded Hasirani Rath, while Congress nominee Milan Pradhan is backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction after its candidate withdrew. A rival TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is also contesting the seat.
In Rejinagar, the candidates include BJP's Sakharav Sarkar, Mamata-led TMC nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, rival TMC candidate Safiuzzaman Sheikh, Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, CPI(M)'s Syed Asad Ali and AJUP nominee Golam Nabi Azad, son of Humayun Kabir.
In Tamil Nadu, counting is under way for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, both seats reserved for Scheduled Castes. In neighbouring Puducherry, votes are being counted for the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency.
The by-elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were necessitated by the resignation of the incumbent MLAs, including Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy from Thattanchavady. The contests are being watched by the ruling TVK in Tamil Nadu and the AINRC government in Puducherry, as well as Opposition parties seeking to assess their electoral standing.