Vadodara

BJP candidate Satish Patel surged ahead by more than 8,000 votes over his Congress rival after four of 19 rounds of counting in the Manjalpur assembly by-election in Gujarat on Monday, officials said.

Counting of votes began at 8 am at Bhavan's School premises in the Makarpura area of Vadodara amid tight security.

Patel secured 12,941 votes after the end of four rounds, while his nearest rival, Congress candidate and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari, polled 4,568 votes, giving the BJP nominee a lead of 8,373 votes, according to officials.

The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 37.5 per cent. The election was necessitated by the death of senior BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 following a prolonged illness.

The BJP fielded former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor Satish Govindbhai Patel, while the Congress nominated its Gujarat vice president Bhikhabhai Rabari.

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The outcome of the Manjalpur assembly bypoll won't have any bearing on the BJP's strength; however, it remains interesting to watch how Congress puts up a fight in the saffron stronghold in Vadodara city.