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.
According to an information from the RO, the counting will be held at the Training Hall, DC Office Complex, Mokokchung. A total of three rounds of counting have been planned. There are 30 polling stations in the constituency. Counting will be conducted in 10 EVM tables along with one RO table.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of veteran legislator I Imkong L Imchen, whose long political presence in the constituency has significantly shaped Koridang’s voting pattern over the years.
This time, however, the contest has taken a more fragmented shape.
The ruling PDA has fielded BJP candidate Daochier I Imchen from Mangmetong village, while the Congress has nominated Chalukumba Ao from Chungtia. The NPP candidate is I Abenjang from Longkhum. In addition, three independent candidates are in the fray, Major Toshikaba (Retd), Imtiwapang Kichu of Chungtia, and Imchatoba Imchen of Mangmetong.
What stood out in the campaign was the emergence of multiple candidates from the same village clusters, particularly Chungtia, raising concerns over possible division of votes within local support bases.
Mangmetong is expected to largely consolidate behind the PDA candidate while Longkhum is expected to strongly consolidate behind NPP candidate.
The absence of I Imkong L Imchen has also altered the political tone in the constituency. For years, Koridang’s politics was shaped by his personal influence, which often cut across party lines. This bypoll is being seen as the first major test of how much of that support structure remains intact.
Independent candidates, though not considered front-runners, are expected to draw pockets of support from villages like Khensa, Mekuli, Aliba, Kinunger and Yimyu ward that may influence margins in a tight race.
Counting will also take place alongside results from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
For Koridang, the key question on counting day is not just who wins, but whether established voting patterns continue to hold.