The seat fell vacant after the death of eight-time BJP MLA Yogesh Patel on June 2, following a prolonged illness. Patel had represented the constituency since its creation post-delimitation, first winning from Raopura before moving to Manjalpur, and had held the seat for 36 years — one of the longest legislative careers in Vadodara. He retained Manjalpur in the 2022 election by a margin of more than one lakh votes, making the constituency a clear BJP stronghold heading into the bypoll.

The BJP moved quickly, naming Satish Patel as its candidate on July 9 — the first major party to declare a nominee for the contest. Party leaders have projected him as an experienced organisation man with a background in the cooperative sector and municipal corporation work, positioning him as someone who can carry forward Yogesh Patel's legacy. State BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma expressed confidence the party would retain the seat, describing a decisive win for Patel as a fitting tribute to his predecessor and framing it as validation of the state and central government's development record.

Congress announced its own candidate three days later, naming Bhikha Rabari, a former state minister and Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president with more than four decades in the party. Rabari previously served as Minister of State for Industries and has been recognised for social welfare work among weaker sections; his candidature was approved directly by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Beyond the two main contenders, five other candidates filed nominations: Paresh Brahmbhatt and Ratnasagar Rajrajeshwar Dhulabhai, both also fielded by the BJP; Dharmesh Patel from Congress; Dinesh Vyas of the Right to Recall Party; and independent candidate Rathod Paresh Vinodkumar. Nominations were scrutinised on July 14, with candidates able to withdraw until July 16 — after which the final list of contenders will be locked in ahead of campaigning.

Polling is scheduled for July 30, with counting on August 3. As the only assembly bypoll currently underway in Gujarat, Manjalpur is being watched as an early organisational test for both parties, even though the seat's long BJP history makes it, on paper, a race the party starts as the clear favourite to retain.