Gujarat | BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal wins Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed
This comes after rejection of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination papers and withdrawal of all the independent candidates from the contest
BJP candidate, Mukesh Dalal, has been elected unopposed from the Surat Lok Sabha seat after all other candidates withdrew from the fray.
Dalal emerged as the clear winner on Monday (April 22) after the rejection of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination papers by the returning officer following “discrepancies” in the signatures of the proposers.
Surat District Election Officer (DEO) and Collector Saurabh Parghi said the discrepancies emerged during the verification of signatures in the documents of the three proposers and those presented in the support of Kumbhani’s nomination.
Nominations withdrawn
Announcing Dalal’s imminent victory on X on Monday (April 22), BJP’s Gujarat unit chief CR Paatil said, “Surat has presented the first Lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I congratulate our candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for getting elected unopposed."
Interestingly, all the eight independent candidates in the poll fray – mostly Independents and Pyarelal Bharti of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – have also withdrawn their nominations, paving the way for unopposed election of BJP's Mukesh Dalal as new Surat MP.
Congress cries foul
With the issue turning into a major controversy, the Congress has alleged the BJP’s role in it. Media reports suggest that the party may also move the Gujarat High Court to seek a stay on the election in the constituency, which is said to be a BJP citadel. Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil has also issued an appeal to the Election Commission for a “suo moto review”.
Besides cancellation of Kumbhani’s candidature, the nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated.