Bypolls 2026: Four regions, six seats and a fresh test for India’s political map
- On Friday, BJP candidates Hasirani Rath and Sakharav Sarkar established early leads in West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly bypolls as vote counting began under tight security.
- The contests became necessary after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, who won two seats each in the 2026 assembly elections, chose to retain other constituencies, vacating these seats.
- Polling on October 6, 2026 saw nearly 80% turnout across the two constituencies, conducted under tight security with 71 companies of central forces deployed to maintain order.
- Congress leaders alleged voter intimidation and booth capturing during polling, while the Election Commission described the voting as "more or less peaceful" as counting proceeded through 15 scheduled rounds.
- These bypolls provide the BJP's first electoral test since taking power in West Bengal, while opposition parties seek to identify which group can emerge as the principal challenger in the state's shifting political landscape.
64 Articles
64 Articles
Bengal bypolls: BJP widens leads in Nandigram, Rejinagar; Congress in second place
Kolkata, Oct 9 (PTI) BJP candidates on Friday widened their leads in Nandigram and Rejinagar seats of West Bengal, where counting of votes was underway for the assembly by-elections, while the Congress emerged as the runner-up in both constituencies, according to early trends. BJP’s Hasirani Rath was leading by 9,600 votes at the end of […]
Counting begins for Bengal bypolls, BJP's first electoral test after coming to power
Kolkata, Oct 09: Counting of votes began at 8 am on Friday for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls, the first electoral test for the BJP since it came to power in West Bengal in May this year. The counting started amid tight security arrangements at the designated centres in both constituencies, with officials first taking up postal ballots and Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots before proceeding with the EVM votes. The counting …
By-election results 2026 live: BJP leads in Nandigram, Rejinagar, Nagaon; TVK ahead in Tamil Nadu
By-election results 2026 live updates: The six contests follow a period of political realignment, defections and factional disputes, with turnout figures pointing to strong voter participation across most of the constituencies.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
