The Election Commission has announced the schedule for by-elections to two assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, one assembly seat in Puducherry, two assembly seats in West Bengal and one Lok Sabha seat in Assam. Polling for all six seats will be held on 6 October 2026, while counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on 9 October 2026.
According to the Election Commission's schedule, by-elections will be held in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu, the Thattanchavady assembly constituency of Puducherry, the Rejinagar and Nandigram assembly constituencies of West Bengal, and the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency of Assam. The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect immediately in the concerned constituencies.
The formal gazette notification for the elections will be issued on 9 September 2026, marking the beginning of the nomination process. Candidates can file their nominations until 16 September 2026.
After scrutiny of nomination papers and the withdrawal process are completed according to the schedule, polling will be held on 6 October 2026. Counting of votes for all the seats will take place on 9 October 2026. The Election Commission has said that the entire election process will be completed before 11 October 2026.
By-elections will be held in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The two seats fell vacant following the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, respectively.
The final electoral rolls for the two constituencies were published on 23 February. Polling will now be held to elect new representatives for the seats.
The Thattanchavady assembly constituency in Puducherry is also included in the by-election schedule. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of N. Rangasamy.
The electoral roll for the constituency was published on 14 February. Polling will be held on 6 October, with counting and declaration of results scheduled for 9 October.
The Rejinagar and Nandigram assembly constituencies in West Bengal have also been included in the by-election schedule.
The Rejinagar seat fell vacant following the resignation of Humayun Kabir, while the Nandigram seat became vacant following the resignation of Suvendu Adhikari. The final electoral rolls for both constituencies were published on 28 February.
The by-election schedule also includes the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi.
According to the Election Commission, the final electoral roll for the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency was published on 10 February. Polling will be held on 6 October, followed by counting on 9 October.
The Election Commission has not announced dates for by-elections to the Shillong and Basirhat Lok Sabha seats at this stage.
The Shillong Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the death of Voice of the People Party (VPP) MP Ricky Andrew J. Lyngdoh in February this year.
The Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal has been vacant since the death of Trinamool Congress MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam in September 2024. The Commission may announce separate schedules for these two seats later.
The Election Commission has also issued instructions regarding electoral rolls ahead of the by-elections. According to the Commission, electoral rolls will continue to be updated until the last date for filing nominations.
Applications related to amendments to the electoral rolls must, however, be received at least 10 days before the deadline for filing nominations. The provision is intended to facilitate the inclusion of eligible voters in the electoral rolls.
According to an Election Commission official, EVMs and VVPAT will be used at all polling stations. The Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) will be the primary document for voter identification.
Voters who do not have an EPIC card can establish their identity using other valid documents specified by the Commission, including Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence and passport.
Other identity documents approved by the Commission can also be used by voters.
The formal election process will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on 9 September 2026. Candidates will have until 16 September to file their nominations.
The subsequent election procedures will then be completed, followed by polling on 6 October and counting of votes and declaration of results on 9 October. The Commission has set 11 October 2026 as the deadline for completing the entire election process.
