The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen Satish Patel as its candidate for the upcoming by-election in the Manjalpur Assembly constituency in Vadodara. This move makes BJP the first major political party to announce its contender for this closely watched contest. The bypoll was triggered by the passing of senior BJP leader Yogesh Patel, who held the seat for eight terms until his demise on June 2 due to an extended illness.
The Election Commission of India has set the polling date for July 30, with the vote count scheduled for August 3. The last day for nominations is July 13, followed by scrutiny on July 14 and the option for candidates to withdraw by July 16. The election process is slated to conclude by August 4, with the Model Code of Conduct already in effect.
Manjalpur, an influential BJP stronghold among Gujarat’s 182 Assembly seats, witnessed Yogesh Patel’s victory in the 2022 elections by a significant margin of over one lakh votes. With Satish Patel now officially in the race as BJP’s nominee, focus shifts to the opposition parties, Congress and AAP, who are yet to reveal their candidates but are expected to do so before the nomination deadline.
This by-election stands as the sole Assembly bypoll in Gujarat amidst the ongoing electoral activities announced by the Election Commission. As campaigning gains momentum in the lead-up to the July 30 polling day, political parties are gearing up their efforts to connect with voters.
