In Gujarat's Vaghodia, where the BJP is facing challenges from rebels, the party's candidate Ashvin Patel is lagging. With over 41,000 votes, independent candidate and BJP rebel Dharmendrasinh Vaghela is leading, according to ECI data at 12pm. Another BJP rebel and six-time MLA Madhu Shrivastav is also in the fray.
The BJP had come down heavily on rebels and suspended them amid the massive campaign ahead of the high-stake polls.
There were speculations that rebel candidates might eat into the party's votes in these constituencies. In 2017, Madhubhai, as Shrivastav is called in the constituency, defeated Vaghela - known as Bapu - by a margin of 10,315 votes. Congress then did not field a candidate and instead gave the seat to Bharatiya Tribal party (BTP) who whom it had an alliance.
The BJP controls zilla and taluka panchayats and gram panchayats in Vaghodia and its leaders exuded confidence that the party's grassroots strength is enough to see it through the hustings.
Vaghodia, situated on the outskirts of Vadodara is an industrial belt and is a semi-urban area.
Another BJP rebel and independent candidate, Dinesh Patel, is trailing behind the party's nominee in Padra. Kuldeepsinh Raulji, who was suspended, and later joined the Congress to become its nominee from Savli, is trailing. He is taking on two-term MLA and BJP candidate Ketan Inamdar. Khatu Pagi, the BJP rebel contesting as Congress candidate from Shehra, is far behind the saffron party's Jethabhai Ghelabhai.
-with PTI inputs
