In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Surat, Mukesh Dalal, has been declared the winner of the Lok Sabha seat even before the elections. This comes as all of Dalal’s opponents have withdrawn from the race.
Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil congratulated Dalal on his victory, stating, “Best wishes to Mukesh Dalal, candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat, for being elected unopposed.”
The Congress party’s candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, faced rejection of his nomination form by the Returning Officer due to discrepancies in the signatures of his proposers. The party’s substitute candidate, Suresh Padsala, also had his nomination invalidated, effectively removing the Congress from the electoral contest in Surat.
The Returning Officer’s order cited inconsistencies in the signatures of the proposers and their affidavits stating that they did not sign the forms themselves. Kumbhani’s three proposers were his relatives, and despite being given an opportunity to respond, none of them appeared before the election officer.
While the BJP hailed Dalal’s victory, the Congress party has accused the ruling party of foul play. Congress leader Babu Mangukiya alleged that Kumbhani’s proposers were kidnapped, and the Returning Officer should have investigated the matter instead of rejecting the nomination form.
Jairam Ramesh, another Congress leader, expressed concern over the BJP’s actions, stating, “Seeing the problems and anger of MSME owners and businessmen during the injustice period of PM Modi, BJP is so scared that it is trying to ‘fix the match’ of Surat Lok Sabha.”
With the BJP securing a walkover victory in Surat, the focus now shifts to the remaining constituencies as the nation gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.