BJP dominates in Nandigram, Hussain traps patch in Rejinagar: By-elections in 6 seats, CM victory in two seats in Tamil Nadu is the first test of victory

By-elections will be held on October 6 in two assembly seats in West Bengal, two in Tamil Nadu, one in Puducherry and one in Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam. The results will be announced on October 9. The results of this election will not decide the future of any government, but it will definitely give a glimpse of the political equations and the grip of parties at the grassroots level after the assembly elections. The most eyes are on the Nandigram seat in West Bengal. This is the traditional seat of CM Suvendu Adhikari. He defeated Mamata Banerjee, who was the chief minister in 2021, from the same seat. Ghulam Nabi Azad, son of Humayun Kabir, who is building the Babri Masjid is contesting from the Rejinagar seat. Humayun Kabir won the 2026 assembly elections from Rejinagar and Nauda seats. He resigned from Rejinagar. He has made the election interesting by fielding his son. West Bengal: Suvendu's influence in Nandigram, Humayun's son's challenge in Rejinagar The election atmosphere in Nandigram was evident from the rallies in Maheshpur Bazaar. The crowd at the Congress meeting was less, mostly party workers. Candidate Milan Pradhan, who met the people, recalls the 2007 Nandigram agitation. At that time, 14 people were killed in police firing during the agitation against land acquisition. It was from here that the 34-year-old rule of the Left came to an end and the way for Mamata Banerjee to come to power. This movement became a symbol of a big change in the politics of Bengal. During the Congress rally, the BJP took out a bike rally. Around 100 bikes were plying under the leadership of state president Samik Bhattacharya. BJP flags and posters are also seen more in villages and markets. The BJP has fielded Hansirani Rath as its candidate here. She is the mother of Chandranath Rath, an aide of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Chandranath was shot dead on May 6. Sukumar Mandal, who sells paneer near Jana Bazaar, says, "People will vote in the name of Suvendu Adhikari. Very few people know Hansira's chariot." She says, "I did not get the money for the Annapurna Bhandar scheme. I complained to the SDM office, but to no avail. In the previous government, money was less, but it was available on time." However, the BJP is seeking votes in the name of Annapurna Bhandar. Sukumar Sahu, who is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, says, "There are only two issues, Annapurna Bhandar and Suvendu Adhikari." On the other hand, the election campaign has not been easy for the Congress' Milan Vidhan. He has been granted interim bail by the Calcutta High Court after his arrest in an old case. The bail is till October 20 and he has to appear before the lower court on October 21. Congress election observer Ranajit alleges that party workers are being intimidated. Flags and banners are being removed. BJP candidate Hansira's chariot rejects these allegations. They say why should our workers remove the flags of other parties? Suvendu Adhikari has done a lot of work here. Our party will win by more than one and a half lakh votes. Rejinagar: Toughest contest; BJP, Congress, Mamata Banerjee, Humayun field candidates In Rejinagar, different factions of the BJP, Congress, TMC, CPI(M) and Humayun Kabir's Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) are in the fray. Rejinagar is a Muslim-majority seat. Apart from the BJP's Shankarrao Sarkar, most of the main candidates are Muslims. Mohammed Abdullahil Kafi from the Congress and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from the TMC are the candidates. Humayun Kabir's son Ghulam Nabi Azad is contesting from AJUP. Humayun Kabir alleges that the police are arresting his workers and creating obstacles in the election campaign. He has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission. Humayun distanced himself from campaigning, saying that campaigning is not possible amid police harassment. AJUP candidate Ghulam Nabi Azad says, "If we go to a village for campaigning, people are pressured after our return." BJP candidate Shankarao Sarkar denies the allegations. According to local journalist Hassan Bashir Sheikh, Humayun Kabir's local identity and allegations of action against his workers may generate sympathy in favour of the AJUP. However, if the Muslim votes are split among the different candidates, the BJP may benefit. Tamil Nadu: Bypolls to two seats, Vijay fields leaders from NDA in both places On September 25, 2026, Tamil Nadu CM Vijay arrived in Madurantakam for campaigning. He said that the by-election to be held on October 6 is between a good force (TVK) and an evil force (DMK). Former CM and DMK president M.K. Accusing Stalin, he said, "My dear uncle... You cannot cheat the people of Tamil Nadu. Your corrupt gang will not be spared." Polling is due in Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. This is the first test of victory after becoming the CM. The AIADMK won both these seats in the assembly elections held in April-May. Maragadham Kumaravel and P. Satyabhama, who won the election, resigned and joined the TVK. Vijay has fielded both of them. Interestingly, the CPI and the CPM, the Left parties supporting Vijay in the government, have fielded their candidates in both the seats. They are also speaking against Vijay. Political analyst T.S. Sudheer says, "The trend in Tamil politics has been that elections are dominated by the party that runs the government. Vijay is campaigning vigorously. This will benefit his party." From 1952 to 2026, the AIADMK won 16 times, the AIADMK won 5 times, and the DMK won 16 times. The AIADMK has won 6 times and the DMK 5 times. The TVK, which contested the elections for the first time in 2026, lost here despite a one-sided wave of victory. Senior journalist K.A. Shaji says, "Even after coming to power in Tamil Nadu, the impact of the victory remains intact. The old parties, especially the DMK, are weak in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. The same is the case with the AIADMK. There is a lot of factionalism in the AIADMK. So the victory is in an advantage." Puducherry: Elections on one seat, this is CM Rangasamy's stronghold The Thattanchavadi seat in Puducherry is being contested by the All India N.R. Congress, i.e. AINRC founder and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. It fell vacant after the resignation of N. Rangasamy. Rangasamy had won from Thattanchavadi and Mangalam seats in the assembly elections held on April 9. He had resigned as MLA from Thattanchavadi. Rangasamy has been winning continuously since 1991 in Thattanchavadi. Now he is being replaced by former MLA Ashok Anand. The AINRC is part of the BJP-led NDA alliance. Rajsangeethan, a senior journalist from Puducherry, says, "The picture of Puducherry is quite different from national politics or Tamil Nadu politics. There is neither the Modi wave, nor the influence of Rahul Gandhi nor the fan base of Vijay. Rangasamy has a strong grip here. His party should not have any difficulty in winning this seat again. TVK contested elections in Puducherry this year and won 2 seats. There are certain chances in the bypoll for victory, but not so much that they can win." Assam: Bypoll in Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, BJP and AIUDF challenge on Congress seat Pradyut Bordoloi of the Congress was elected as an MP from this seat in 2019 and 2024. In March 2026, he joined the BJP and resigned from the Lok Sabha membership. Since then, the Nagaon seat has been vacant. Pradyut is currently an MLA from the Dispur seat. Dilbar Hussain, a senior journalist from Assam, said, "There are 18 lakh voters in Nagaon, of which 11 lakh are minority voters. This seat has been a stronghold of the Congress. From 1951 to 1998, the party was in monopoly. From 1999 to 2014, the BJP won. In 2019 and 2024, the Congress came again. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is campaigning aggressively in this seat. At a rally in Raha on September 28, he said, "We are winning this seat. I don't think there is any contest," he said. "This time, the BJP has given a ticket to former IAS officer Debasish Sharma. If the votes are split between the Congress and the AIUDF, the BJP can win. Former Dhubri MP and AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal is contesting from Nagaon. He has a good influence among Muslims. If he gets votes, the Congress can suffer." The issue of Bangladeshi pushback and fake encounter is being made an issue of Bangladeshi pushback by the Congress to surround Debashish Sharma. Before entering politics, Debashish was the district collector of Nagaon. The Congress alleges that during his tenure, minority women, including Mumtaz Begum, a resident of Nagaon, were deported to Bangladesh on suspicion. No trace of them has been found till date. On the other hand, the BJP is saying that if Debashish wins, it will bring a resolution in Parliament on issues like development, security and infiltration of Nagaon. At the same time, the poor will give land pattas to the minorities. The AIUDF is raising the issue of minorities' rights, security and fake encounters. The party alleges that the BJP is harassing minorities by calling them Bangladeshis.