New Delhi: Counting of votes in by-elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam has produced significant early trends, with Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leading in two Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies and the BJP ahead in two seats in West Bengal and the Nagaon Lok Sabha contest in Assam.
The first result was declared in Puducherry, where the All India NR Congress (AINRC) retained the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency. Its candidate, Ashok Anand, defeated Congress rival E Vinayagam by more than 8,000 votes.
The bypolls are being closely watched for their potential political implications, particularly as the parties assess their support following the recent Assembly elections.
Vijay’s TVK leads in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, TVK has taken the lead in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, moving ahead of the AIADMK and DMK in the early trends. The contests are an important electoral test for Chief Minister Vijay and his party, which won 108 seats in the Assembly election, falling short of the 118 needed for a majority.
Both constituencies were won by the AIADMK in the recent elections. Maragatham Kumaravel won Madurantakam, while P Sathyabama secured Dharapuram. Both legislators later supported the TVK government during a floor test before resigning and joining Vijay’s party, prompting the bypolls.
The results are being watched as a measure of TVK’s ability to convert Vijay’s popularity into electoral support, while the AIADMK seeks to reclaim the seats and the DMK looks to strengthen its position.
BJP ahead in Nandigram and Rejinagar
In West Bengal, the BJP is leading in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The bypolls come amid a changed political landscape following the 2026 Assembly elections and divisions among opposition groups.
Nandigram became vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chose to retain Bhabanipur, where he defeated former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, while the contest has been complicated by developments involving the Trinamool Congress and rival political factions.
Trinamool candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination shortly before the election. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan is also in the contest, with support from a faction aligned with Mamata Banerjee, while a rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is separately involved in the political battle.
Rejinagar fell vacant after Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir won both Rejinagar and Naoda in the Assembly elections and subsequently relinquished one seat.
BJP leads in Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll
In Assam, BJP candidate Debashish Sharma is ahead in the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, competing against Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.
The seat fell vacant after Pradyut Bordoloi, who had won it for Congress in 2024, switched to the BJP and won the Dispur Assembly constituency in the recent state elections.
Ajmal is seeking a return to the Lok Sabha after losing the 2024 general election from Dhubri to Congress leader Rakibul Hussain.
With counting continuing, the early leads favour the BJP in Assam and West Bengal and TVK in Tamil Nadu. The final results will determine whether these trends translate into victories and what they indicate about the parties’ standing in the respective regions.
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