TN bypolls: Madurantakam, Dharapuram register 15.99%, 17.55% polling at 9 am
Polling in Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections, which commenced briskly on Tuesday morning registered 15.99 per cent and 17.55 per cent respectively in the SC reserved constituencies, as of 9 am, the poll body said. Voting commenced at 7 am and would go on till 6 pm across 285 polling stations in Madurantakam and 320 polling centres in Dharapuram, where a total of 49 candidates are totally in the fray.
Assam: Over 17% voter turnout recorded for Nagaon LS bypoll in first 2 hours
Over 17 per cent of 19.05 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the bypoll to the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam till 9 am on Tuesday, with no untoward incidents reported, an official said.
The polling commenced at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.
The by-election was necessitated as Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and successfully contested the assembly elections from Dispur on a BJP ticket earlier this year.
"The polling has been peaceful so far, as no untoward incident was reported from any polling station in the eight assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituency.. The voting percentage in the first two hours of polling was 17.68," the official said. Highest polling of 20.29 per cent has been registered in Laharighat assembly constituency and the lowest 13.93 per cent from Nagaon-Batadraba till 9 am.
West Bengal: Rejinagar records 18.05% turnout, Nandigram 20.89% by 9 am
Polling percentage in West Bengal bypolls as of 9 am was recorded at:
Nandigram: 20.89%
Rejinagar: 18.05%
‘We would have won 100%’: AJUP candidate alleges police interference
West Bengal: Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate Gulam Ali Ahmed on Tuesday alleged police interference during polling for the Rejinagar Assembly Constituency by-election.
"If there had been a fair election, we would have won 100%. There is still a lot of police planning involved. Let's see what happens now... There is no competition with any other party; the only competition is with the BJP... The public has understood the situation, which is why the police are scared and are stopping people from voting here. They are threatening people from all sides and asking them not to vote. They are telling people that if they vote, the same government will remain in power and that they will face difficulties later..." Ahmed said.
Tamil Nadu: Polling begins, people line up enthusiastically to cast votes
Amid tight security, polling commenced at 7 am on Tuesday for the byelections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram reserved Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
People began gathering in front of the polling stations well ahead of the start of the polling exercise and enthusiastically waited to exercise their franchise.
The polling, which commenced at 7 am will continue upto 6 pm.
Tamil Nadu: DMK candidate S Suganya was among the early voters
In Dharapuram, DMK candidate S Suganya was among the early voters and speaking to reporters, she expressed confidence of winning the bypoll.
In Madurantakam segment, there was some delay in the start of polling in a polling station due to a technical issue related to VVPAT and it was sorted out.
Madurantakam and Dharapuram have over 2.13 lakh and 2.23 lakh voters respectively.
Officials said all arrangements are in place to ensure basic amenities like "Shamiana pandal," to provide shade. Also, arrangement is in place to safely deposit mobile phones as phones are not allowed inside the polling booth.
Elaborate security and surveillance arrangements are in place and personnel from Tamil Nadu and Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed.
Polling begins in Thattanchavady Constituency in Puducherry
Polling commenced at 7 am on Tuesday for the byelection in Thattanchavady Assembly Constituency amid elaborate security arrangements.
People gathered in front of polling booths ahead of the start of the commencement of polling and waited patiently to vote.
The bypoll is seen as a test of popularity for the four month-old NDA government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, whose resignation from this seat necessitated the electoral exercise.
All arrangements are in place for the polling exercise which would go on till 6 pm, officials said.
Although a total of 11 candidates are in fray, the battle is being seen as a 3-cornered one between ruling AINRC-led NDA, the Congress and its former ally DMK.
West Bengal: Humayun Kabir detained amid Rejinagar bypoll voting
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief and MLA Humayun Kabir was detained by Rejinagar Police on Tuesday as polling was underway for the Rejinagar Assembly by-election in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
Kabir was detained from his party office while voting was in progress in the constituency. The reason for his detention was not immediately clear. Further details are awaited.
Earlier in the day, Kabir had cast his vote in the Rejinagar Assembly Constituency.
BJP, Congress, AIUDF in three-way contest for Nagaon seat
Polling is underway in Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha Constituency, where the BJP, Congress and AIUDF are engaged in a three-way contest.
The Nagaon seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi left the party and joined the BJP. He later won the Dispur Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. Bordoloi had represented Nagaon in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP has fielded former Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashish Sharma, while the Congress has nominated former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is also contesting the bypoll, adding to the political competition in the constituency.
The bypoll is important for the Congress as it looks to hold on to a seat it won in the last two Lok Sabha elections. The BJP and AIUDF, meanwhile, are seeking to make gains in Nagaon.
BJP's Keya Ghosh promises peace, predicts big win in Nandigram, Rejinagar
BJP leader Keya Ghosh on Tuesday said a BJP government would ensure peace during the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls, referring to the history of election-related violence in West Bengal.
Ghosh also expressed confidence that the BJP would win both constituencies by a "huge margin".
West Bengal: BJP faces first electoral test since TMC ouster as Opposition stakes rise
The Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls on Tuesday are being closely watched as the first electoral test for the BJP since it ended the TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal. The contests are also shaping up as a battle among Opposition parties to claim political space against the BJP.
The results could offer an early indication of how voters view the BJP government, which took office in May. For the Opposition, the focus is on establishing which party can emerge as the BJP’s main challenger. The voting pattern among the state’s minority electorate will also be closely watched.
Polling in both constituencies is being held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.
Why Nandigram matters
Among the two constituencies, Nandigram carries greater political significance because of its role in Bengal’s political history. The seat has emerged as a key battleground and will be among the main areas of focus as voters decide the outcome of Tuesday’s polling.
Vijay seeks AIADMK’s space as TVK takes on DMK in Tamil Nadu bypolls
Tamil Nadu's two Assembly bypolls have turned into a high-stakes contest, with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, DMK president MK Stalin, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami leading campaigns for their respective parties.
For Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the outcome will be closely watched as an early indication of whether the party can expand its presence in the Assembly. The DMK, after its defeat in the April Assembly elections, is seeking to recover lost ground, while the AIADMK is campaigning aggressively after slipping to third place.
Polling is taking place in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, where TVK, DMK, AIADMK, the Left Front and a Tamil nationalist party are locked in a five-cornered contest.
The Opposition has alleged that the bypolls were triggered by “horse-trading”. The TVK has rejected the claim, saying the AIADMK MLAs resigned and joined the party after becoming frustrated with attempts by the Palaniswami camp to work with the DMK to form a government.
TVK has fielded former AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama from Madurantakam and Dharapuram, respectively. In Madurantakam, Kumaravel is up against DMK’s I Paranthamen and AIADMK’s Kanitha Sampath. In Dharapuram, Sathyabama is facing DMK’s S Suganya and AIADMK’s K Bhanumathi.
Vijay's AIADMK pitch
During the campaign, Vijay sought to position TVK as the political heir to the welfare-oriented legacy associated with former AIADMK chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, both of whom had long been political rivals of the DMK.
The pitch puts TVK directly in a space traditionally associated with the AIADMK, making the bypolls an important test of whether Vijay’s party can attract voters who have historically backed the Dravidian major.