Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Harshad Parmar secured a decisive victory in the Umreth Assembly bypoll in Gujarat on Monday, winning by a margin of 30,743 votes over Congress rival Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan, according to the Election Commission of India. The result reaffirmed the BJP’s hold over the constituency in a closely watched by-election.

The counting process concluded after 23 rounds, with Harshad Parmar receiving a total of 85,500 votes, while Congress candidate Chauhan secured 54,757 votes. Officials said the counting began in the morning and progressed smoothly throughout the day, with the BJP maintaining a consistent and comfortable lead from the early rounds to the final tally.

The by-election in Umreth Assembly constituency in Anand district was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA Govind Parmar in March. A four-term legislator, Govind Parmar had retained the seat in the 2022 Assembly elections, making the constituency a significant stronghold for the party. His son, Harshad Parmar, entered electoral politics for the first time as the BJP candidate in this bypoll.

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Harshad Parmar’s candidature received backing from senior BJP leadership during the campaign, helping consolidate support in the region. On the other hand, Congress candidate Bhrugurajsinh Chauhan brought considerable local political experience, having served three terms as president of the Umreth taluka panchayat and holding key organisational responsibilities within the party’s central zone in Gujarat.

Polling for the seat was held on April 23 and recorded a turnout of just over 59 per cent across more than 300 polling stations. Although six candidates contested the election, the fight largely remained bipolar between the BJP and Congress, reflecting the traditional political pattern in the constituency, which includes a mix of rural and semi-urban voters.

With this win, the BJP has successfully retained the Umreth seat, reinforcing its political presence in Anand district. The bypoll was conducted alongside other Assembly by-elections across several states, and its outcome adds to a broader set of electoral results seen as an indicator of party strengths ahead of upcoming political contests nationwide.

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