The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained the Manjalpur Assembly constituency in Gujarat after its candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel won the bypoll defeating his rival Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari by a margin of more than 30,000 votes, according to the Election Commission's final results.
The bypoll was held on July 30, with the counting of votes taking place on Monday under the supervision of the Election Commission.
ALSO READ: Union Minister Ravneet Bittu Resigns, Triggering Buzz Over BJP's Plan For Punjab Elections
The counting of votes for the Manjalpur Assembly bypoll began at 8:00 am on Monday at Bhavan's School, with authorities making elaborate arrangements to ensure a smooth, transparent and peaceful process.
During the counting process, Patel established an early lead and steadily widened the gap over Rabari before being declared elected.
Approximately 37.5% of eligible voters cast their ballots. Votes were cast at 260 polling stations and were counted across 19 rounds on 15 counting tables, including 14 for electronic voting machines (EVMs) and one for postal ballots.
Under the supervision of the district election officer and collector Anil Dhameliya, 42 counting personnel and 42 micro-observers were deployed for the exercise while around 200 staff members assisted in the various aspects of the counting process.
The victory enabled the BJP to retain the Manjalpur seat which has been one of the party's strongholds since the constituency was created in 2012.
The bypoll was one of the three Assembly by-elections held across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, with vote counting conducted simultaneously on Monday, according to the Election Commission.
ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee Dares Rebel TMC MPs To Join BJP And Contest Elections
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.