Vote counting began at 8 am on Friday, October 9 for the by-elections of five Assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry and the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency of Assam. The results are awaited to see how the tide turns politically. Tamil Nadu is set to witness one of the most hotly contested by-elections which will be a trial for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.
Tamil Nadu Bypolls Under Spotlight
Counting has begun for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu which went to polling on October 6. Both seats are reserved for the scheduled castes. The TVK government faces a crucial test as it wrested power in the Assembly elections by capturing 108 seats, falling short of the 118 needed to form a majority government.
As per the counting procedure, postal ballots have been counted first followed by votes polled through EVMs.
Nandigram, Rejinagar Counting in Bengal
Meanwhile, votes are being counted in Nandigram of East Midnapore district and Rejinagar of Murshidabad district in West Bengal which went to polls on October 6. Maximum security was put in place in the polling booths in Nandigram.
The by-election assumes added significance as TMC candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination at the last moment. There are high hopes that BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath will win from here.
Dey is the mother of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in Madhyamgram on May 6. Adhikari had said that the victory margin of BJP candidate could be more than the victory margin he had bagged from Nandigram in 2016.
Puducherry, Assam Also Await Results
Meanwhile, votes are also being counted in Thattanchavady Assembly constituency of Puducherry. The counting is also underway for the Lok Sabha by-election of the Nagaon constituency of Assam.
The results of the total of six constituencies will decide the fate of the candidates and political parties. Tamil Nadu’s results are keenly awaited to see whether TVK government is able to withstand the test. West Bengal’s results will be interesting as the TMC and BJP are locked in a keen contest.