BJP’s Mukesh Dalal has been elected unopposed from the Surat Lok Sabha seat on April 22, after all other candidates withdrew their nomination papers.
On the last day of withdrawal of the nomination forms today, as many as eight candidates, mostly Independents and Pyarelal Bharti of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), withdrew their papers.
Lok Sabha election updates April 22, 2024
Mr. Dalal also received his certificate from the District Election Officer (DEO) or Returning Officer Saurabh Pardhi. There would now be no voting in Surat parliamentary seat on May 7th.
This development comes a day after nomination papers of the Congress party’s candidate Nilesh Kumbhani were rejected after his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer that they had not signed his nomination form.
BJP leaders were quick to take to social media to congratulate Mr. Dalal as State BJP president C.R. Paatil wrote on X (formerly, Twitter), “Surat [has] offered first lotus to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi.” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also in a post on X congratulated Mr. Dalal.
Meanwhile Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the BJP is trying to “match-fix” the Surat Lok Sabha polls, which he said they have won consistently since 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
On April 21, the District Election Officer (DEO) Sourabh Pardhi rejected the nomination of the Congress candidate on the ground that his three propers failed to turn up before the DEO to support his nomination form.
Congress and AAP are contesting the elections in Gujarat in alliance. Congress has fielded candidates on 24 out of 26 seats, while AAP is contesting Bhavnagar and Bharuch.
(With agency inputs)
