Gandhinagar, July 25 (IANS) The Gujarat government has declared a public holiday across the entire Manjalpur Assembly constituency in Vadodara district on Thursday, July 30, to facilitate voting in the by-election to the seat.
According to a notification issued by the state’s General Administration Department, the holiday has been declared under the provisions of Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, and in accordance with the Ministry of Home Affairs notification dated May 8, 1968.
The notification states that the holiday will apply throughout the entire area falling within the Manjalpur Assembly constituency on polling day.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 after a prolonged illness.
Patel had represented the constituency since it was created after the 2008 delimitation exercise and had won eight consecutive Assembly elections during his 36-year legislative career.
Polling for the by-election will be held on July 30, while the counting of votes is scheduled for August 3.
The contest has narrowed to a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress after the scrutiny of nominations and the completion of the withdrawal process.
The BJP has fielded Satish (also referred to in some official records as Satyendra) Patel, a former Vadodara Municipal Corporation standing committee chairman and former BJP district president.
The Congress has nominated Bhikha Rabari, the state unit’s vice-president and a former state minister.
The Election Commission’s nomination process saw 15 nomination papers filed by seven candidates before scrutiny reduced the contest to the two recognised national parties.
Election Commission guidelines require polling to be conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with counting of votes scheduled for August 3 and the election process to be completed by August 4.
The Model Code of Conduct remains in force in the constituency, while statutory provisions on paid holiday and dry days will also apply during the polling period.
–IANS
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