Vadodara: Around 37.5 per cent of eligible voters cast their votes in the Manjalpur assembly byelection on Thursday. Election officials said the final polling percentage would be announced after verification of the polling data.Polling remained largely peaceful, barring a brief altercation between BJP and Congress workers in the Manjalpur area. Congress workers alleged that BJP supporters were campaigning on polling day in violation of the election model code.Polling booths saw a thin turnout in the morning, with voter participation picking up during the afternoon. For the first time, the district administration set up mobile phone deposit centres for voters and ensured 100 per cent live webcasting at all polling stations.The bypoll was necessitated following the death of veteran BJP MLA Yogesh Patel. The BJP fielded Satish Patel, while the Congress nominated Bhikha Rabari.Officials reported a few minor violations during polling, including some polling personnel carrying mobile phones inside polling stations and instances of unauthorised entry into polling booths.
