The Congress has selected Bhikha Rabari, a senior leader from Gujarat, as its contender for the Manjalpur Assembly by-election in Vadodara on July 30. Rabari, aged 79, currently serves as the Vice-President of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and brings over four decades of experience with the party. He has previously held roles such as Gujarat’s Minister of State for Industries, Mines, and Energy from 1988 to 1989 and was a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1985 to 1990.
Rabari, a mechanical engineering graduate from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, has an extensive political background. He has been a two-term municipal Councillor in Vadodara, a former Senate member of the university, and has held various key positions within the Congress. Noteworthy is his tenure as Industries Minister, where he initiated policies benefiting slum dwellers and facilitated the allocation of residential plots for economically weaker sections.
The BJP, on the other hand, has nominated Satish Patel, a veteran linked to Gujarat’s cooperative sector, for the bypoll. Patel’s selection follows internal party discussions and reflects the BJP’s efforts to maintain its stronghold in the constituency. The by-election was triggered by the passing of eight-time BJP MLA Yogesh Patel, who represented the constituency for 36 years. Polling is set for July 30, with the Model Code of Conduct in effect.
