LS Polls: BJP opens account before counting as Surat candidate wins unopposed

Surat: Even as campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26 gains momentum, the BJP on Monday opened its account with Mukesh Dalal being declared winner from the Surat parliamentary constituency after several withdrawals and disqualifications of opposition candidates.

Asserting that the development symbolises the beginning of a comprehensive victory for the party in Lok Sabha polls, Gujarat BJP President C.R. Paatil expressed his joy on social media, heralding the unopposed election of Dalal as a historic win not just for Surat, but also for the BJP's prospects across India.

"Surat has offered the first lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congratulations to Surat Lok Sabha candidate Mukeshbhai Dalal for being elected unopposed," Paatil posted on X.

In an interesting turn of events, the nomination papers of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani and his substitute were rejected by the Returning Officer (RO), Surat Collector Sourabh Pardhi, due to alleged discrepancies in the signatures of their proposers.

The candidatures were dismissed under Section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which permits the RO to examine and reject nominations based on valid objections.

The situation escalated when eight other candidates, including Pyarelal Bharati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), withdrew their nominations under unclear circumstances, effectively leaving Dalal as the lone contender.

Meanwhile, the withdrawals have prompted allegations of foul play from the opposition, with Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil claiming the nomination was sabotaged by the BJP, describing the incident as a "murder of democracy".

Gohil also said that the Congress would challenge the RO's decision in the high court, alleging a conspiracy to eliminate the opposition through procedural tactics.

"This is not just a setback for the Congress, but a blow to the democratic fabric of our nation," Gohil said during a press conference.

The remaining 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state will go to the polls on May 7.