Both constituencies, reserved for Scheduled Castes, went to the polls on October 6 following an intense campaign involving leaders from the ruling party and the Opposition. Counting will begin at 8 am, with postal ballots taken up first, followed by votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
In West Bengal, counting will be held for the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district. Polling in both seats took place amid heightened security arrangements, reflecting the political sensitivity surrounding the contests.
The Nandigram bypoll has attracted particular attention following the last-minute withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate. Her withdrawal has fuelled speculation among political observers about the prospects of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hasi Rani Rath.
Dey is the mother of late Chandranath Rath, a personal assistant to chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated in Madhyamgram on 6 May. The development has added another dimension to an already closely watched political contest.
Adhikari had earlier claimed that the BJP candidate’s victory margin in the Nandigram bypoll could exceed the margin he secured from the constituency in 2016. The counting outcome will determine whether the BJP can translate its campaign into a decisive electoral advantage.
In Puducherry, votes will be counted for the Thattanchavady assembly constituency, while Assam will see counting for the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency. The results from these seats will establish the electoral fortunes of the candidates and provide the respective parties with an opportunity to assess their support among voters.
With counting scheduled to begin at 8 am, attention will remain focused on the early trends and final results from all six constituencies. The outcomes are expected to have political significance for the parties concerned, although their broader implications will depend on the margins of victory and the overall electoral performance.
With IANS inputs
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