Vote counting begins for bypolls across four states

UPDATE - follow-up to Bypoll results LIVE: Vote counting to start soon for five Assembly seats, one Lok Sabha constituency: The counting of votes for bypolls across five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat begins today at 8 a.m.

Vote Counting Details

Counting centres are operating under a three-tier security cover for Tamil Nadu's Madurantakam and Dharapuram seats, with postal ballots checked first before Electronic Voting Machines. Madurantakam recorded an 86.26% voter turnout while Dharapuram polled 80.30%, according to final figures from the Election Commission of India. In West Bengal, Nandigram and Rejinagar recorded turnouts of 80.89% and 80.08% respectively out of about 5.24 lakh electors. Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha seat saw about 76% of 19.05 lakh electors vote on October 6. Puducherry's Thattanchavady segment is also holding vote counting today.

Political Context

The Tamil Nadu contests test the popularity of the TVK party after it came to power in May, while the AIADMK hopes to win back seats lost in April. The DMK previously filed a complaint with the Election Commission against TVK's Dharapuram candidate P. Sathyabama over alleged election expense rules violations. In West Bengal, the Nandigram and Rejinagar results will show the state's political mood after the BJP replaced the TMC in power. AJUP chief and Nowda MLA Humayun Kabir broke down in front of media after his arrest following a polling day confrontation in Rejinagar, predicting a BJP win and hinting at quitting politics. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with a Calcutta High Court order granting interim bail to Congress Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan. In Assam, the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll happened because Pradyut Bordoloi left Congress to win the Dispur Assembly seat on a BJP ticket, with voting remaining largely peaceful except for a minor dispute in Juria.

Context

Bypowebs and bypolls are held when elected legislators vacate their seats due to resignation, death, or other reasons, requiring a fresh localized vote to fill the vacancy. These elections often serve as early indicators of shifting public sentiment between general election cycles.