By-election campaigns wrap up as voting slated for Oct. 6 across five states

Campaigning for six crucial by-elections—five state assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency—ended on Sunday, marking a key mid-term test for ruling parties. The contests, triggered by resignations after the April 2026 general and assembly polls, will be held on Oct 6 in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar, Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram, Puducherry’s Thattanchavady and Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha seat. In West Bengal, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari backed BJP candidate Hasirani Rath and accused the previous TMC government of misusing the CID, while TMC’s Mamata Banerjee’s camp supports Congress nominee Milan Pradhan.

Tamil Nadu sees former AIADMK legislators joining TVK and chief minister C Joseph Vijay campaigning for them against DMK rivals. In Assam, BJP’s Devasish Sharma is urged by Himanta Biswa Sarma to win a Muslim-majority seat, while Congress and AIUDF also claim confidence of victory. Puducherry’s Thattanchavady features an 11-cornered race after chief minister N Rangasamy vacated the seat.