BJP Wins Reported in Bengal as Six Bypoll Contests Reach Counting

The October 6 by-elections covered five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry, according to The Hindu. The Assembly contests were Nandigram and Rejinagar in Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Thattanchavady in Puducherry.

Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha contest brought together the BJP, Congress and AIUDF. NDTV Top Stories identified the candidates as former IAS officer Debashish Sharma, former Batadroba MLA Sibamoni Bora and Badruddin Ajmal. The counting-day report from The Hindu spelled the BJP candidate's name Devasish Sharma.

On October 6, voters turned out in large numbers. Business Line - Home reported turnout of 80.87 percent in Nandigram and 80.07 percent in Rejinagar. Madurantakam recorded the highest reported turnout, 86 percent, according to The Hindu.

The Bengal polling was accompanied by allegations of rigging and intimidation. The Hindu reported that West Bengal's CEO received 97 official complaints on polling day, and that Congress sought cancellation of the by-elections over alleged voter intimidation and booth capturing. These were allegations, not established findings in the supplied coverage.

AJUP chief Humayun Kabir was arrested after a heated argument with police during Rejinagar voting, NDTV Top Stories reported. He accused police of acting at the behest of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

On October 7, The Hindu reported that Kabir had been released after nearly 12 hours in custody. He hinted at early retirement from politics and said the BJP would win Rejinagar. NDTV India reported his allegation that residents had been prevented from voting and his plan to hold a meeting after Durga Puja.

Counting reports followed on October 9. The Hindu reported that counting had begun in Nagaon, while Indian Express reported large BJP leads in both Bengal seats and renewed objections from Congress.

The supplied October 9 reports capture different stages of counting. Scroll.in described the BJP as leading in Nandigram and Rejinagar, while Times now reported that it had won both Bengal seats. That report also recorded an AINRC candidate's victory in Puducherry, an outcome also reported by Swarajya.

Assam and Tamil Nadu remain less settled in this coverage. India Today reported the BJP ahead in Assam and a TVK-AIADMK contest in Tamil Nadu. Business Line - Home reported an early advantage for TVK, and Times now also described TVK as leading rather than having secured a final result.

The outstanding results are Nagaon and Tamil Nadu's two Assembly contests. The supplied reports do not establish final winners there, so leads should remain distinct from declared victories.

In Bengal, the open question is what follows the polling complaints and Congress's demand for cancellation. The coverage provides no decision on those demands. Kabir's proposed post-Durga Puja meeting is also pending, following his remarks about leaving politics.