Manjalpur Byelection: BJP-Congress Face-Off in Key Gujarat Seat
Voting began on Thursday (July 30, 2026) for the byelection to the Manjalpur Assembly seat in Gujarat's Vadodara district, with two candidates competing to fill the vacancy left by the death of senior BJP MLA Yogesh Patel.
Polling started at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m., while counting is scheduled for August 3, according to the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer's office.
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of eight-time BJP legislator and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 after a prolonged illness. Patel had represented the Manjalpur seat since its creation after delimitation, winning in 2012, 2017 and 2022, and had earlier served the Raopura constituency five times.
The ruling BJP has fielded former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor Satish Govindbhai Patel, while the Congress has nominated its Gujarat Vice-President and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari.
According to the CEO's office, all administrative, security and technical arrangements have been completed to ensure free, fair and transparent polling. A total of 2.19 lakh citizens, including 1,11,645 men, 1,07,847 women and two third-gender voters, are eligible to vote.
Polling is being conducted at 260 stations across 62 locations, with each station catering to an average of 844 voters. The Election Commission has implemented several voter-friendly initiatives, including 100% webcasting at all polling stations, mobile deposit facilities for electronic gadgets, real-time poll monitoring and adherence to the prescribed voter limit.
The Manjalpur constituency had recorded a turnout of 60.15% in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. The bypoll is seen as a test of the BJP's organisational strength following the loss of its veteran leader, and the Congress's ability to regain ground in a state where it has been out of power for decades.
