BJP Retains Manjalpur Assembly Seat in Gujarat By-Election

VADODARA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday retained the Manjalpur assembly constituency in Gujarat's Vadodara district, with its candidate Satish Patel defeating Congress nominee Bhikhabhai Rabari by a margin of more than 30,000 votes in the by-election. According to Election Commission data, Satish Patel secured 55,481 votes, while Rabari received 24,851 votes after the completion of all 20 rounds of counting, according to news agency PTI. Patel won the contest by a margin of 30,630 votes. The counting process began at 8 am at Bhavan's School in Vadodara's Makarpura area under tight security arrangements. The by-election, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 37.5 per cent. The seat fell vacant following the death of senior BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 after a prolonged illness, necessitating the bypoll. For the contest, the BJP fielded former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor Satish Govindbhai Patel, while the Congress nominated its Gujarat vice-president and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari. The election witnessed a direct contest between the two candidates. With the victory, the BJP's tally in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly has increased to 162. The Congress now has 12 MLAs, while the Aam Aadmi Party holds five seats. The remaining members include two Independents and one Samajwadi Party legislator.