Mukesh Dalal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been elected unopposed to the Surat Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat after all other candidates in the fray withdrew their nominations.
CR Paatil, Gujarat BJP president, congratulated Dalal on his victory and tweeted, “Congratulations and best wishes to Mukesh Dalal, candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat, for being elected unopposed.”
Surat District Collector and Election Officer Saurabh Pardhi handed over the Member of Parliament (MP) certificate to Dalal on Monday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also congratulated Dalal in a post on social media.
The Congress party’s first candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, had his nomination papers rejected after his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer that they had not signed his nomination form. The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress’ substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated, effectively removing the Gujarat’s main opposition party from the race in the city.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi stated that all other eight candidates in the fray had withdrawn their nominations except Mukesh Dalal.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the BJP is trying to “match-fix” the Surat Lok Sabha polls, which they have won consistently since 1984.
He said that the candidate being declared “elected unopposed” from Surat Lok Sabha nearly two weeks before polling in the state indicated that the BJP was “spooked.”
In a tweet, Ramesh said, “distress and anger faced by MSME owners and businesspeople in Modi’s Anyay Kaal” has spooked the BJP so badly that they are attempting to “match-fix” Surat Lok Sabha, which they have won consistently since 1984 Lok Sabha elections!”
“Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution – all are under a generational threat. This is the most important election of our lifetime!” Ramesh posted.
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting the elections in Gujarat in alliance. The Congress has fielded candidates on 24 out of 26 seats, while AAP is contesting Bhavnagar and Bharuch.
Voting in Gujarat will take place on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
