Congress fields Bhikha Rabari for Manjalpur bypoll, targets BJP on floods and inflation
Synopsis
Congress has filed its nomination for the Manjalpur bypoll — but the party is fighting less for one seat and more for a 2027 preview. With Bhikha Rabari as its face and Vadodara's monsoon flooding as its sharpest weapon, the Congress is betting that local civic anger can crack a constituency the BJP has held through eight consecutive terms.
Key Takeaways
Bhikha Rabari , former Gujarat minister and GPCC vice-president, filed his nomination for the Manjalpur Assembly bypoll on 13 July .
The seat fell vacant after the death of eight-time BJP MLA Yogesh Patel on 2 June .
The BJP has fielded Satish Patel , making it a direct two-party contest.
Congress is campaigning on Vishwamitri River flooding , corruption, rising prices, and unemployment in Vadodara.
Polling is scheduled for 30 July ; votes will be counted on 3 August .
GPCC president Amit Chavda framed the bypoll as a precursor to the 2027 Gujarat assembly elections.
Senior Congress leader Bhikha Rabari filed his nomination papers on Monday, 13 July for the Manjalpur Assembly by-election in Vadodara, with the party framing the contest as a referendum on the Bharatiya Janata Party's governance record in the city — from monsoon flooding to rising prices and unemployment.
Nomination and Rally
Rabari submitted his papers at the Vadodara Collector's Office, accompanied by Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda, Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Tushar Chaudhary, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and Central Gujarat in-charge Ram Kishan Ojha, and Vadodara district in-charge Bimal Shah. The filing followed a 'Vijay Vishwas Sankalp Sabha' convened at the Vadodara City Congress office, attended by party workers and supporters from across the constituency.
What Congress Leaders Said
Addressing reporters ahead of the nomination, Chavda argued that the Manjalpur bypoll carried significance well beyond a single Assembly seat. 'The Manjalpur election is not merely an election for one Assembly constituency. It is a fight against the corruption, mismanagement and high-handedness of the Bharatiya Janata Party's triple-engine government in Vadodara city, where attempts are made to suppress the voice of the people through the misuse of power,' he said.
Chavda described Rabari as a former state minister and GPCC vice-president whose decades-long public career made him the natural choice. He acknowledged support from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, party in-charge Mukul Wasnik, and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal in selecting Rabari as the nominee.
Civic Grievances at the Centre of the Campaign
The Congress is expected to lean heavily on local civic failures as its primary campaign plank. Chavda alleged that Vadodara residents face recurring damage every monsoon season due to administrative neglect. 'Every monsoon, the Vishwamitri River witnesses man-made floods caused by the BJP's corruption, resulting in hardship for people and damage to their property,' he said. Corruption, rising prices, unemployment, and education are among the issues the party plans to raise at every doorstep, according to Chavda.
Background: Why the Seat Fell Vacant
The Manjalpur Assembly seat became vacant after the death of eight-time BJP MLA Yogesh Patel on 2 June. The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the bypoll notification on 6 July. With 13 July as the last date for nominations, scrutiny is scheduled for 14 July and the withdrawal deadline falls on 16 July. Polling is set for 30 July, with vote counting on 3 August.
The Contest Ahead
The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Satish Patel, setting up a direct two-party contest in what is being watched as a bellwether for Gujarat's political mood ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections. Chavda signalled the Congress intends to use a Manjalpur win to send a broader message: 'The people of Vadodara will send a message to the whole of Gujarat and the country by blessing the Congress on the Manjalpur seat that the BJP's corrupt rule will face rejection in 2027.'
Point of View
And by-elections in India rarely swing against the ruling party at the state level. The Congress is leaning on civic grievances, particularly Vishwamitri flooding, which is a legitimate and recurring local wound, but translating that anger into votes requires ground organisation the party has visibly struggled to sustain in Gujarat. Chavda's framing of this as a 2027 preview is tactically sound optics but risks overpromising: a loss here, however expected, will be read as further evidence of Congress's structural weakness in a state it last governed in 1995.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bhikha Rabari and why has Congress fielded him for the Manjalpur bypoll?
Bhikha Rabari is a senior Congress leader, former Gujarat state minister, and current vice-president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC). The party selected him citing his decades-long public career and organisational experience in Gujarat.
Why is the Manjalpur Assembly seat going to a bypoll?
The Manjalpur seat fell vacant after the death of eight-time BJP MLA Yogesh Patel on 2 June. The Election Commission of India issued the bypoll notification on 6 July.
What are the key dates for the Manjalpur bypoll?
The last date for filing nominations was 13 July; scrutiny is on 14 July and withdrawals can be made until 16 July. Polling is scheduled for 30 July and vote counting will take place on 3 August.
Who is the BJP candidate for the Manjalpur bypoll?
The BJP has fielded Satish Patel for the Manjalpur by-election, setting up a direct contest against Congress candidate Bhikha Rabari.
What issues is the Congress raising in the Manjalpur campaign?
The Congress is campaigning primarily on recurring monsoon flooding along the Vishwamitri River, which it attributes to administrative failures, alongside corruption, rising prices, unemployment, and education concerns in Vadodara.
