The Election Commission has scheduled bye-elections in five Assembly constituencies across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal, along with the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, for October 6, 2026.
Counting will take place on October 9 and the election process is to be completed by October 11. The Gazette notification will be issued on September 9, formally opening the nomination process.
Candidates may file nominations until September 16. Scrutiny will be conducted on September 17, and September 19 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
The Assembly seats going to the polls are Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, Thattanchavady in Puducherry, and Rejinagar and Nandigram in West Bengal. The parliamentary bypoll will be held in Nagaon, Assam.
Madurantakam and Dharapuram are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. The vacancies across the six constituencies arose after the resignation of the elected representatives.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the districts containing the constituencies. The code regulates announcements, official conduct and campaigning to maintain a level electoral field until the process is completed.
Electronic voting machines and voter-verifiable paper audit trail systems will be used at all polling stations. Election authorities have stated that adequate equipment will be made available for the exercise.
Electoral Photo Identity Cards will serve as the principal voter-identification document. Electors unable to produce the card may use approved alternatives, including Aadhaar, passports, driving licences, PAN cards, pension documents with photographs, Ayushman Bharat health cards and specified government or service identity cards.
The electoral rolls for the constituencies were finally published in February 2026 after revision exercises in the respective states and Union Territory. Continuous updating will remain available until the nomination deadline under the prescribed rules for eligible applications.
Candidates with criminal antecedents will be required to publish information about pending cases and convictions during the campaign period. Political parties selecting such candidates must also disclose the details and explain the reasons for their selection within the specified period.
The election authorities will make candidate information available through ECINET’s Know Your Candidates facility. The disclosure framework is intended to give electors access to relevant background information before voting.
Nandigram is likely to draw particular attention because of its political significance in West Bengal, while the Nagaon contest will fill a vacancy in the Lok Sabha. The remaining constituencies will determine representation in their respective legislative assemblies.
With the timetable announced, district election machinery will move to polling-station preparation, deployment planning, roll verification and enforcement of campaign rules. The six results on October 9 will provide an early political test in four different regions while restoring representation to the vacant seats.
