Manjalpur bypoll records 37.50% turnout, well below 2022 levels
Synopsis
Manjalpur's bypoll drew just 37.50% of voters — barely half the 60.15% turnout that elected the late Yogesh Patel in 2022. With counting set for 3 August, the sharply lower participation in this urban Vadodara seat could prove as telling as the result itself.
Key Takeaways
Manjalpur Assembly bypoll in Gujarat concluded on 31 July with a turnout of 37.50 per cent — well below the 60.15 per cent recorded in 2022 .
The seat fell vacant following the death of BJP leader and former minister Yogesh Patel .
BJP fielded Satish Patel (former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor); Congress nominated Bhikha Rabari (state vice-president, former minister).
Of 2,19,494 registered electors, 107 voted via home voting facility before polling day, including 90 senior citizens.
Voting was held across 260 polling stations with 100 per cent live webcasting and CCTV coverage.
Votes will be counted on 3 August 2025 .
Polling for the Manjalpur Assembly constituency by-election in Gujarat concluded peacefully on Thursday, 31 July, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) recording a final voter turnout of 37.50 per cent — sharply lower than the 60.15 per cent logged in the same seat during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former state minister Yogesh Patel, who had held the seat.
How Turnout Progressed Through the Day
Voter participation built gradually across polling hours. Turnout stood at 6.06 per cent by 10 am, climbing to 14.27 per cent by 12:30 pm, 21.66 per cent by 2 pm, and 34.35 per cent by 5 pm, before closing at 37.50 per cent. The constituency has 2,19,494 registered electors — 1,11,645 men, 1,07,847 women, and two third-gender voters.
The electoral roll included 1,634 Persons with Disabilities (PwD), 1,406 voters aged 85 years and above, and 12 centenarian voters. Before polling day, 107 electors — including 90 senior citizens — exercised their franchise through the ECI's home voting facility.
The Contest: BJP vs Congress
The bypoll shaped up as a direct fight between the BJP and the Indian National Congress (Congress). The BJP fielded Satish Patel, a former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor and former BJP Vadodara district president. Congress nominated Bhikha Rabari, the party's state vice-president and a former state minister.
This is the first electoral test for both parties in the constituency since Yogesh Patel's passing, and the result will determine who succeeds him in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Election Infrastructure and Oversight
Voting was conducted across 260 polling stations at 62 locations. Election authorities ensured ramps, drinking water, electricity, and toilet facilities at every station. Two booths were staffed entirely by women personnel, two by PwD staff, and five functioned as model polling stations.
The ECI enforced 100 per cent live webcasting and CCTV surveillance at all polling stations. Mobile deposit counters were set up outside booths, and officials updated turnout figures every two hours via the ECINET application. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Makarpura served as the dispatch centre, receipt centre, strong room, and counting centre.
Authorities 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.
Brief Incident, No Major Disruption
Polling remained largely peaceful. A brief confrontation was reported outside a polling station at Panchsheel Vidyalaya, where BJP and Congress workers traded allegations over an alleged Model Code of Conduct violation. Police intervened, dispersed the gathering, and confirmed that voting continued without interruption. No other significant law-and-order incidents were reported across the constituency.
What Comes Next
Votes will be counted on 3 August, when Manjalpur will learn which candidate — Satish Patel of the BJP or Bhikha Rabari of Congress — will represent the constituency in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. The significantly depressed turnout compared to 2022 could influence the margin of victory and will likely be analysed as a signal of voter sentiment in urban Vadodara.
Point of View
And in an urban constituency where mobilisation should be easier, that demands explanation. Bypoll fatigue is real, but so is the possibility that neither the BJP's municipal-level candidate nor Congress's state vice-president sufficiently energised the electorate. The BJP enters counting day with the structural advantage of incumbency and a direct sympathy vote for the late Yogesh Patel; Congress, however, has fielded a more experienced name. If the margin is narrow, the suppressed turnout will become the story — raising questions about whether urban Gujarat's voters are disengaging from state-level politics even as national narratives dominate.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the voter turnout in the Manjalpur bypoll on 31 July 2025?
The final voter turnout in the Manjalpur Assembly bypoll was 37.50 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India. This is significantly lower than the 60.15 per cent recorded in the same constituency during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election.
Why was the Manjalpur bypoll held?
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of BJP leader and former Gujarat state minister Yogesh Patel, who had represented the Manjalpur constituency after winning the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election.
Who are the candidates in the Manjalpur bypoll?
The BJP fielded Satish Patel, a former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor and former BJP Vadodara district president. Congress nominated Bhikha Rabari, the party's Gujarat state vice-president and a former state minister.
When will the Manjalpur bypoll results be declared?
Counting of votes is scheduled for 3 August 2025, when the winning candidate who will succeed the late Yogesh Patel in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly will be announced.
How many voters were registered in the Manjalpur constituency?
A total of 2,19,494 electors were registered in Manjalpur, comprising 1,11,645 men, 1,07,847 women, and two third-gender voters. The roll also included 1,634 Persons with Disabilities and 12 centenarian voters.
