Kumar Bahukhandi
The Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi. The poll body on Monday, September 7, 2026, announced by-elections to five Assembly constituencies and Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, with polling scheduled for October 6 and counting on October 9. (File Photo)
Election Commission announces bypolls to five Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat
Key Highlights
- Polling: October 6, 2026
- Counting: October 9, 2026
- Last date for nominations: September 16
- Assembly seats: Nandigram, Rejinagar, Madurantakam (SC), Dharapuram (SC) and Thattanchavady
- Lok Sabha seat: Nagaon, Assam
- EVMs and VVPATs to be used at all polling stations
- Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately in the districts concerned.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday, September 7, 2026 announced by-elections to five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha constituency, setting October 6 as polling day for electoral contests spanning West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam.
Votes will be counted on October 9, while the entire election process is scheduled to be completed by October 11.
According to the schedule, the notification will be issued on September 9 and candidates will be able to file nominations until September 16. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on September 17, while September 19 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
The five Assembly constituencies going to the polls are Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) in Tamil Nadu, and Thattanchavady in Puducherry. The Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam will also hold a by-election.
Nandigram Returns to Electoral Spotlight
Among the six contests, Nandigram is likely to attract considerable political attention.
The constituency fell vacant following the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly election and subsequently chose to retain Bhabanipur.
The development has again brought former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee into political speculation over a possible route back to the West Bengal Assembly. However, no decision by Banerjee to contest either Nandigram or Rejinagar should be treated as confirmed at this stage.
Rejinagar, meanwhile, fell vacant following the resignation of Humayun Kabir, who had won both Rejinagar and Nowda and opted to retain the latter constituency.
In Tamil Nadu, bypolls will be held in Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) following the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, respectively. Both had been elected on AIADMK tickets before subsequently joining Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Puducherry’s Thattanchavady seat became vacant after Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who had won from both Thattanchavady and Mangalam, decided to retain Mangalam.
Nagaon Lok Sabha Seat Also Goes to Polls
In Assam, voters in the Nagaon Parliamentary constituency will return to the polling booths following the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi.
Bordoloi had won Nagaon on a Congress ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha election before later joining the BJP and winning the Dispur Assembly constituency.
The Election Commission has said EVMs and VVPATs will be deployed at all polling stations, with adequate machines being made available for the elections.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the districts covering the constituencies going to the polls.
For voter identification, the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) will remain the principal document, although the Commission has permitted specified alternative photo-identification documents at polling stations.
