Vote counting for the byelection to the Manjalpur Assembly seat in Vadodara, Gujarat, commenced on Monday, August 3, 2026, amidst stringent security measures, officials reported.
The counting began at 8 a.m. at the premises of Bhavan’s School located in the Makarpura region, in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Election Commission. The counting process involved the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being meticulously handled under a multi-layered security framework.
This byelection, held on July 30, recorded a modest voter turnout of 37.5%. The election became necessary following the passing of senior BJP MLA and former Gujarat Minister Yogesh Patel due to illness on June 2.
In this contest, the ruling BJP faced off against the Opposition Congress. The BJP nominated Satish Govindbhai Patel, a former councillor of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, while the Congress party put forth Bhikhabhai Rabari, its Gujarat vice president and a former minister.
The polling took place peacefully across 260 polling stations distributed over 62 locations, with no significant incidents reported during the voting process.
In contrast, the constituency recorded a significantly higher voter turnout of 60.15% during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections.
Yogesh Patel, a prominent figure in Gujarat politics, was an eight-term BJP legislator who represented the Raopura Assembly constituency in Vadodara for five terms from 1990 to 2007. Following a delimitation process, he shifted to the newly created Manjalpur seat, which he won in the elections of 2012, 2017, and 2022, achieving eight consecutive victories in the Gujarat Assembly over a remarkable span of 36 years.
