Manjalpur Bypoll: BJP Strengthens Lead After Third Round of Counting
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The BJP has established an early advantage in the Manjalpur Assembly by-election, with party candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel leading by 3,519 votes after the third round of counting, according to early trends.
Counting of votes began at 8 am on Monday at Bhavans School in Makarpura, Vadodara, under tight security arrangements. The result is expected later in the day.
BJP-Congress Direct Contest
The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of former Gujarat minister and eight-time MLA Yogesh Patel, who represented the constituency for decades.
The principal contest is between:
- BJP: Satish Govindbhai Patel, former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor.
- Congress: Bhikhabhai Rabari, former minister and Gujarat Congress vice-president.
BJP's Traditional Stronghold
Manjalpur has long been considered a BJP bastion. Yogesh Patel represented the constituency continuously after delimitation in 2012, 2017 and 2022, and had earlier won five consecutive terms from the erstwhile Raopura Assembly seat.
Polling for the by-election was held on July 30, recording a voter turnout of around 37.5–37.7 per cent, significantly lower than the 60.15 per cent turnout recorded during the 2022 Assembly election.
With counting still underway, all eyes remain on whether the BJP retains its traditional stronghold or whether the Congress manages to stage an upset. Early trends, however, indicate a strong performance by the BJP candidate.
