The Gujarat government has announced a public holiday for the Manjalpur Assembly constituency in Vadodara district on July 30. This holiday is in place to facilitate voting in the upcoming by-election for the seat. The holiday is declared under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, and as per a Ministry of Home Affairs notification from 1968.
The by-election was triggered by the passing of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2. Patel had represented the constituency since its establishment in 2008 and had a successful 36-year legislative career, winning eight consecutive Assembly elections.
Scheduled for July 30, the by-election will witness a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has nominated Satish Patel, while the Congress has put forward Bhikha Rabari. The Election Commission’s nomination process initially had seven candidates, but after scrutiny, it narrowed down to the two main national parties.
Polling will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the counting of votes set for August 3. The election process is expected to conclude by August 4, with the Model Code of Conduct in effect in the constituency during this period.
