In a significant development, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal has secured an unopposed victory from the Surat Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. This came to pass after nominations of Congress candidates were declared invalid and other candidates withdrew their nominations.
Taking to the social media platform X, Gujarat state party president CR Paatil extended his congratulations to Dalal, stating, ‘Congratulations and best wishes to Mukesh Dalal, candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat, for being elected unopposed.’
Gujarat District Collector and Election Officer Saurabh Pardhi presented Dalal with the certificate of the Member of Parliament (MP). Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed his well wishes on the microblogging site, noting that this victory marks the beginning of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s historic triumph in the Lok Sabha elections across India, including Gujarat.
The nomination papers of the Congress party’s initial candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, were rejected after three of his proposers made an affidavit to the district election officer claiming to have not signed his nomination form. The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress’ substitute candidate, was also invalidated, effectively eliminating Gujarat’s principal opposition party from the race in Surat.
In a turn of events, all other eight candidates in the fray withdrew their nominations, leaving only Dalal in the running.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP is attempting to ‘match-fix’ the Surat Lok Sabha polls, which they have consistently won since 1984. He has expressed concern that the candidate being declared ‘elected unopposed’ from Surat Lok Sabha nearly two weeks before polling in the state indicates that the BJP is ‘spooked.’
Ramesh further stated, ‘Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution – all are under a generational threat. This is the most important election of our lifetime!’
Congress and AAP are contesting the elections in Gujarat in alliance, with Congress fielding 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.
