New Delhi, 9 October 2026: Counting began at 8 a.m. Friday in by-elections for five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat spread across four Indian states and territories, according to election-day reporting. The new counting phase follows voting on October 6 and provides a substantive update beyond Tuesday’s polling coverage. No winner should be declared before official results are confirmed.
Key points
- Counting began October 9 for five Assembly by-elections and the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, media reports confirm.
- Voters went to the polls in Nandigram, Rejinagar, Madurantakam, Dharapuram, Thattanchavady and Nagaon on October 6.
- Early counting leads can change; readers should consult the Election Commission’s official results portal for declared outcomes.
Where are votes being counted?
The Indian Express reported at 8:03 a.m. on October 9 that the six seats are Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal; Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu; Thattanchavady in Puducherry; and Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. The timing and list are corroborated by The Times of India’s counting-day guide.
Nandigram is being watched because of its association with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the BJP’s political position in the state. Tamil Nadu’s two seats are a closely watched test of the state’s new political balance, including the governing Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, founded by actor-politician Vijay. In Assam, the Nagaon parliamentary contest involves the BJP, Congress and the All India United Democratic Front. Puducherry’s Thattanchavady contest also draws scrutiny of the ruling alliance’s support.
What counting figures mean
Counting-day updates often combine postal ballots, electronic voting machine rounds and provisional candidate leads. A lead in the first few rounds is not equivalent to a certified victory. The authoritative reference for constituency-level results is the Election Commission of India’s results portal, where readers should check whether a result is labelled a trend or a final declaration.
Why it matters
These six contests provide fresh local information about political support between wider elections, but they do not constitute a nationwide referendum. Their implications will depend on margins, turnout and the surrounding political circumstances. Turnout percentages and party claims may be reported throughout the day; allegations about election conduct must be explicitly attributed, and no unverified fraud assertion should be treated as fact.
This article is about the start of October 9 counting, not an invented election outcome. It builds on the previous October 6 voting report. Our Politics section tracks confirmed subsequent developments.
Sources
- The Indian Express, updated 9 October 2026, 8:03 a.m.
- Times of India, counting-day information, 9 October 2026
- Election Commission of India: official live election results portal
Cover illustration updated 16 October 2026: Original AI-assisted editorial illustration created exclusively for this article by Taaza Khabar with the built-in image generation tool. Symbolic illustration of an election-counting room; not official results or a photograph of the six bypolls. Original publication date retained.
Editorial disclosure: Original AI-assisted content cross-checked against dated news reports and the official Election Commission results destination. No winner asserted as of this report.
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