Bypoll Results 2026: BJP Ahead In Bengal's Nandigram By 9,000 Votes; In TN, AIADMK Leads In Dharapuram, TVK In Madurantakam; Assam Set For A Saffron Win

New Delhi: Counting of votes for by-elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam was underway on Friday, October 9, with the AIADMK leading in Dharapuram, the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead in Madurantakam and the BJP widening its leads in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar. In Puducherry, the ruling AINRC was leading in Thattanchavady, while the BJP held a substantial lead in Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency.

In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK took the lead in Dharapuram after initially trailing behind the ruling TVK and the DMK. According to the latest Election Commission update cited by PTI, AIADMK candidate K Bhanumathi secured 8,244 votes after the initial rounds, ahead of TVK’s P Sathyabama with 7,434 votes. The DMK’s S Sunganya was trailing with 6,158 votes.

In Madurantakam, TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel maintained her lead, while AIADMK candidate Kanitha Sampath moved into second place, followed by the DMK’s I Paranthaman. Counting was briefly interrupted during the second round because of a technical glitch before resuming.

The results are being closely watched as an early electoral test for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s TVK government, which came to power in May. The outcome is also significant for the AIADMK, which is seeking an electoral comeback, and the DMK, which is contesting without several of its erstwhile allies.

BJP Candidates Leading In Bengal

In West Bengal, BJP candidates widened their leads in Nandigram and Rejinagar, with Congress candidates emerging as runners-up in both constituencies, according to early trends reported by news channels. In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath was leading by 9,600 votes at the end of the first round. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was in second place.

In Rejinagar, BJP candidate Sakharav Sarkar had secured 11,614 votes after the second round, while Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi was trailing with 581 votes. Aam Janata Unnayan Party candidate Gulam Nabi Azad had received 446 votes. The Election Commission was yet to release official figures confirming these leads.

The Nandigram bypoll has drawn attention because Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, the slain personal assistant of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The seat fell vacant after Adhikari, who won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the Assembly elections, retained Bhabanipur.

In Puducherry, AINRC candidate Ashok Anand was leading in Thattanchavady with 6,950 votes after two rounds of counting. Congress candidate E Vinayagam had secured 2,392 votes, while the DMK’s K Sethu Selvam had received 1,534 votes.

BJP Leading In Assam By Huge Margin

In Assam, BJP candidate Devashish Sharma was leading by 43,418 votes over his nearest rival, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll. Sharma had polled 92,345 votes against Ajmal’s 48,927, while Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora had received 12,982 votes. The Nagaon bypoll recorded a voter turnout of 76.19 per cent on October 6. The result will not affect the balance of power in the Lok Sabha.