Manjalpur bypoll: BJP’s outsider gamble keeps Gujarat urban bastion intact
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained its grip on the Manjalpur constituency in Vadodara, with candidate Satish Patel leading Congress's Bhikha Rabari by 11,463 votes in the ongoing by-election. Despite a significant drop in voter turnout to 37.05% from 60.15% in the 2022 Assembly polls, the BJP's strong organizational structure appears to have mitigated the impact of the recent death of eight-term MLA Yogesh Patel. The outcome is crucial for the BJP as it navigates a transition following Patel's long-standing influence in the region.