BJP candidate Zankhana Patel wins Surat Assembly bypoll

SURAT: BJP candidate Zankhana Patel today won the by-election of Choryasi Assembly seat in Surat by defeating Congress candidate Dhansukh Rajput with a comfortable margin of more than 43,000 votes.

Zankhana Patel (35) received 90,089 votes while Rajput got 46,651 votes, as per the final figures released by election officials after counting ended here this afternoon.

Out of the total 1.48 votes polled on January 21, 1,254 went in favour of NOTA (None Of The Above).

Thirty-eight per cent voter turnout was recorded during the polling to Choryasi Assembly seat, as around 1.48 lakh voters out of total 3.91 lakh registered voters exercised their franchise during the by-election.

The election was necessitated after sitting BJP MLA Rajendra Patel (60), popularly known as Raja Patel, died of dengue at a hospital in Mumbai in August last year.

In total, 26 candidates were in fray, including one each from main political parties - BJP and Congress - and 24 independents.

Gujarat BJP selected Raja Patel's daughter Zankhana Patel as party's candidate for the by-election, while Congress gave ticket to 57-year-old Dhansukh Rajput.