Manjalpur bypoll results: BJP’s Satish Patel wins by over 30,000 Votes

Vadodara: BJP candidate Satish Patel has won the Manjalpur Assembly by-election in Gujarat, defeating Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari by over 30,000 votes, according to the Election Commission of India.

Patel maintained a commanding lead throughout the counting process, which began at 8 am on Monday, and steadily widened the margin to register a comfortable victory for the BJP.

As Patel's lead crossed the 30,000-mark, BJP workers began celebrating in Vadodara. Meanwhile, Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari conceded defeat and alleged that the BJP had violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) to influence voters during the campaign.

Counting was held at Bhavan's School in Vadodara's Makarpura area under tight security, with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) counted in accordance with Election Commission guidelines.

The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 37.5 per cent, significantly lower than the 60.15 per cent turnout in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election.

The election was necessitated following the death of senior BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 after a prolonged illness.

The BJP fielded former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor Satish Patel, while the Congress nominated its Gujarat vice-president and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari.

Polling was conducted across 260 polling stations at 62 locations and remained peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported.

Yogesh Patel was one of the BJP's longest-serving legislators in Gujarat. He represented the Raopura Assembly constituency five times between 1990 and 2007 before shifting to the newly created Manjalpur seat after delimitation. He later won the constituency in 2012, 2017 and 2022, completing eight consecutive Assembly election victories during a political career spanning 36 years.

With Satish Patel's victory, the BJP has successfully retained the Manjalpur Assembly seat.