Counting for 5 assembly, 1 Lok Sabha seats today; big tests for Vijay, Suvendu Adhikari

Five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry will commence counting of votes on Friday at 8 am. The results will provide insight into the performance of the BJP, Congress, and regional parties in these contested areas. In West Bengal, the BJP's victory in the 2026 Assembly elections and the intra-party split within the Trinamool Congress will be gauged through the results in Nandigram and Rejinagar.

The stakes are high in Nandigram, where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defeated then-Prime Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections, only to vacate the seat to contest Bhabanipur. The BJP's candidate, Hasirani Rath, faces off against Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and other regional party representatives. Rejinagar presents a more complex contest with multiple parties vying for the minority electorate's support.

Low voter turnout in both constituencies (around 80%) has sparked allegations of intimidation and irregularities from opposition parties. In Tamil Nadu, bypolls are being held in Madurantakam and Dharapuram following the resignation of former AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Satyabama. Both are contesting again, and the DMK and AIADMK have also put forward candidates.

Madurantakam had a higher turnout (83.86%) compared to Dharapuram (78.53%). Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam is crucial for the BJP, Congress and the AIUDF as they vie for a Muslim-majority constituency. The BJP aims to expand its support base, while Congress seeks to retain its minority voters. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is also seeking electoral resurgence.

Fifteen candidates are in the fray, with the main battle between BJP nominee Devashish Sharma, former Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora, and Ajmal. The outcome may signal whether the AIUDF can regain lost ground after its Assembly seat count fell to two in the April elections, down from 16. The Thattanchavady bypoll in Puducherry serves as an early test for the four-month-old NDA government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy.

The seat vacated by Rangasamy's resignation is expected to be contested between the ruling AINRC-led NDA, Congress, and the DMK.