Bypoll election results 2026: Vote counting begins for key seats in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam

The counting of votes has begun for highly anticipated by-elections across five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat. Officials started processing postal ballots at 8:00 AM on Friday before moving on to the electronic voting machines, with final results expected to emerge throughout the day.

The contests span four states and union territories, serving as an early indicator of shifting political currents.

Why the Tamil Nadu bypolls matter

In Tamil Nadu, the bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram are the first electoral tests since the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) came to power in May. The TVK is looking to prove its popularity, while the opposition AIADMK is fighting to win back the seats it lost in April.

The stakes are high, and the run-up has been contentious. The DMK has already approached the Election Commission of India, accusing TVK’s Dharapuram candidate, P. Sathyabama, of failing to disclose campaign spending and violating the election code of conduct.

Security is tight at the counting centres, with three-tier protection deployed at LRG Government Arts and Science College in Dharapuram and the Integrated Social Development Training Centre in Chengalpattu. Voter turnout was high, with Madurantakam recording 86.26% and Dharapuram showing 80.30%.

What is at stake in West Bengal

In West Bengal, the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly seats are voting for the first time since the BJP ousted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after 15 years in power. While the state’s four-month-old BJP administration does not face an immediate threat to its survival, the results will show how voters are reacting to the major political transition.

Both Bengal seats recorded turnouts near 80%, but the campaigns were marred by legal and political drama. In Nandigram, the Supreme Court refused to block interim bail granted by the Calcutta High Court to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who was freed a day after polling.

Meanwhile, in the Muslim-majority seat of Rejinagar, Humayun Kabir, the AJUP chief and MLA for Nowda, was arrested following a clash with police during polling. After his release, a tearful Kabir suggested he might retire from politics and predicted a BJP victory in the constituency.

The contest in Assam and Puducherry

In Assam, attention is focused on the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, where around 76% of the 19.05 lakh eligible voters turned out on Tuesday. The bypoll was triggered after Pradyut Bordoloi, who won the seat for the Congress in 2024, resigned to contest the Dispur Assembly seat for the BJP. Polling in the district was generally peaceful, despite a brief confrontation over claims of vote-switching at a polling station in Juria.

In Puducherry, officials have also begun counting votes for the Thattanchavady Assembly seat, with final results for all contests expected later today.