The Election Commission of India has scheduled by-elections for October 6, 2026, covering five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, and Assam. Candidate nominations will remain open until September 16, and vote counting is set for October 9.
In Tamil Nadu, vacancies occurred in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies after AIADMK legislators resigned and joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. Five other Tamil Nadu assembly seats remain vacant, including Tiruchirappalli East—vacated because Vijay retained Perambur—while legal petitions have delayed elections for four additional seats in the state.
Elsewhere, Puducherry’s Thattanchavady seat became vacant when Chief Minister N. Rangasamy relinquished it to keep an alternative constituency. In West Bengal, high-profile bypolls were triggered in Nandigram and Rejinagar following resignations by prominent political figures. Political parties in all participating states are now mobilizing their campaign machinery for the October vote.