Counting of votes for the Koridang Assembly bypoll, held on April 9, 2026, will begin at 8 am on May 4, according to the Election Commission of India.
The bypoll comes after the death of veteran legislator I Imkong L Imchen, whose long presence in the constituency has largely shaped how Koridang votes over the years.
This time, however, the field was more fragmented than usual.
The ruling PDA has fielded BJP candidate Daochier I Imchen from Mangmetong village, while the Congress has put up Chalukumba Ao from Chungtia. The NPP candidate is I Abenjang from Longkhum, along with three independents – Major (Retd) Toshikaba, Imtiwapang Kichu from Chungtia village; Imchatoba Imchen from Mangmetong Village.
What stood out in the campaign was not just party competition, but the number of candidates emerging from the same local clusters, especially Chungtia, raising concerns of vote division within the same village base.
Mangmetong is expected to largely consolidate behind the PDA candidate, while Chungtia’s votes are seen as split across multiple candidates – a factor that could matter in a close contest.
The absence of Imkong L Imchen has also changed the tone of the election. For many years, Koridang’s politics revolved around his personal influence, which often cut across party lines. This bypoll is being seen as the first real test of how much of that support base remains intact.
Independent candidates, while not seen as front-runners, are expected to draw pockets of support that could affect margins in a tight race.
Counting will also take place alongside results of the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
For Koridang, the bigger question on counting day is not just who wins, but whether the old vote pattern still holds.
