Voting began on October 6 for six by-elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. The elections are being closely watched because they could provide an indication of political support ahead of future electoral contests.
In West Bengal, voting is taking place in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Tamil Nadu is seeing polling in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, while the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam and Thattanchavady in Puducherry are also going to the polls.
The contests have attracted particular attention in Tamil Nadu because they represent an important electoral test for actor-turned-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). In West Bengal, Nandigram is another high-profile constituency where political competition remains intense.
In Assam, the BJP is attempting to regain the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat from the Congress. Puducherry’s election is also being viewed as an assessment of the ruling NDA government’s popularity.
Polling began at 7 a.m., with voters participating across the six constituencies. Counting is scheduled for October 9.
Although by-elections involve a limited number of seats, their political importance can be much larger. Political parties use such contests to measure public sentiment, test their organisation and assess voter reactions to government policies.
The results could therefore provide valuable signals about changing political preferences in different parts of the country.
