Vadodara

BJP candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel widened his lead to more than 19,000 votes over his Congress rival after 12 of 19 rounds of counting in the Manjalpur assembly bypolls in Gujarat on Monday, officials said.

According to election officials, Patel secured 34,345 votes at the end of 12 rounds, while his nearest rival, Congress candidate and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari, polled 14,977 votes, giving him a lead of 19,368 votes.

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

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 Patel, former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor, while the Congress nominated its Gujarat vice-president Rabari.

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.

READ MORE: Shabana Dagar safeguards 500-year musical legacy

The BJP currently has 161 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, followed by Congress with 12, AAP with five, two Independents and a Samajwadi Party legislator.