Polling is underway in the Manjalpur Assembly constituency bypoll in Vadodara, Gujarat, with voter turnout touching 6.06 per cent by 10 am on Thursday, 30 July 2025, according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The by-election was necessitated by the death of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel, leaving vacant one of the party's longstanding strongholds in Vadodara district.

The Contest: A Straight BJP vs Congress Fight

Following scrutiny, only two recognised party candidates remain in the fray, making this a direct contest between the BJP and the Indian National Congress (Congress). The BJP has fielded Satish Patel, a former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor, former chairman of the civic body's standing committee, and former BJP Vadodara district president. Congress has nominated Bhikha Rabari, vice-president of the Gujarat Congress and a senior Vadodara leader who previously served as a minister in the Madhavsinh Solanki government during the 1990s.

Voter Profile and Early Turnout

A total of 2,19,494 electors are eligible to cast their votes, comprising 1,11,645 men, 1,07,847 women, and two third-gender voters. The electoral roll includes 1,634 Persons with Disabilities (PwD), 1,406 voters aged 85 years and above, and 12 centenarians. Ahead of polling day, 107 voters — including 90 senior citizens — exercised their franchise through the home voting facility using ballot papers. This compares with a 60.15 per cent turnout recorded in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election in the same constituency, setting a high bar for participation.

Polling Infrastructure and ECI Measures

Election authorities have set up 260 polling stations across 62 locations, with an average of 844 voters per booth. No single polling station has more than 1,200 registered voters, a measure designed to reduce congestion. All 260 stations are under 100 per cent live webcasting and CCTV surveillance. Mobile deposit counters have been placed outside polling stations for voters to deposit their phones before entering.

Two polling stations are managed entirely by women staff, two by PwD staff, and five have been designated as model polling stations. Wheelchairs and volunteers have been arranged to assist elderly and differently abled voters. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Makarpura has been designated as the dispatch centre, receipt centre, strong room, and counting centre.

Technology and Enforcement

Presiding Officers are updating turnout figures every two hours via the ECINET application. Election authorities have deployed nine Flying Squads, three Static Surveillance Teams, two Video Surveillance Teams, and one Anti-Defacement Team to monitor expenditure and enforce the Model Code of Conduct. Available stock includes 519 Ballot Units, 502 Control Units, and 498 VVPATs. Notably, only one complaint has been received through the ECI's C-Vigil platform since the election notification was issued, and it was resolved within the prescribed 100-minute timeframe.

What Happens Next

Counting of votes is scheduled for 3 August 2025. The result will determine whether the BJP retains its hold over Manjalpur or whether Congress can convert the sympathy factor and Rabari's seniority into a rare upset in what has historically been BJP territory.