Rejinagar in Murshidabad presents another complex contest in the region. The seat became vacant after Humayun Kabir, who won both Rejinagar and Nowda, chose to retain Nowda. Kabir, who had formed his Aam Janata Unnayan Party after being expelled by the TMC, has fielded his son, Golam Nabi Azad, in a constituency where approximately 70% of voters belong to the minority community. The BJP has nominated former Murshidabad district president Sakharav Sarkar, while the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction has nominated Rabiul Alam Chowdhury. The contest is further complicated by the rival TMC faction fielding Safiuzzaman Sheikh, Congress nominating Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, and the CPI(M) fielding Syed Asad Ali. The administration has implemented multi-layered security arrangements in Rejinagar, which has 315 polling stations and 2.57 lakh electors.

Meanwhile, in Assam, voting has begun in the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, where the BJP, Congress, and AIUDF are engaged in a fierce battle among 15 candidates. This bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who then contested the Dispur assembly election on a BJP ticket. Congress has fielded former MLA Sibamoni Bora, while the BJP has nominated ex-IAS officer Devashish Sharma. AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal is also contesting after replacing the party’s original nominee. With over 55% of voters in Nagaon belonging to the minority community, the BJP aims to expand its base, while Congress seeks to retain the seat it won in 2019 and 2024. The AIUDF hopes to maintain influence after its representation dropped significantly in the April assembly election. The district administration has identified 624 polling stations as sensitive, and more than 19 lakh voters, including women and third-gender electors, are eligible to cast their votes.

In Puducherry, the Puducherry bypoll tests the popularity of the four-month-old NDA government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy. The Thattanchavady seat fell vacant after Rangasamy, who won both Thattanchavady and Mangalam, chose to retain Mangalam. The All India NR Congress, which leads the NDA government, has fielded Ashok Anand. The contest is viewed as a three-way battle between the ruling NDA, Congress, and DMK, with Congress enjoying the backing of its Tamil Nadu ally TVK. Eleven candidates are contesting, with DMK fielding K Sethu Selvam and Congress fielding E Vinayagam. Polling in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal assembly seats continues until 6 pm, while voting in the Nagaon constituency and other specific areas will conclude earlier, with Rejinagar and Nandigram recording high engagement across their respective polling stations.

Future Implications for Regional Power Dynamics

The outcomes of these by-elections will significantly influence the stability of regional governments and the balance of power within national coalitions. In Tamil Nadu, the results will validate or challenge Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s ability to consolidate his TVK party’s gains and manage relationships with allies like the CPI. In West Bengal, the Nandigram contest remains a critical indicator of the BJP’s capacity to penetrate traditional TMC strongholds, while the fragmented TMC landscape could impact the INDIA bloc's unity ahead of future national polls. The Puducherry and Assam results will similarly test the resilience of the NDA and Congress respectively, potentially reshaping legislative strategies and alliance dynamics in the coming months as parties assess voter sentiment on governance and leadership.