BJP Candidate In Gujarat's Surat Wins Unopposed After Congress Pick Rejected, Others Withdraw Nomination

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate from Gujarat’s Surat, Mukesh Dalal, won the Lok Sabha elections unopposed after the nomination paper of Congress’ pick was rejected and other candidates withdrew from the race.

Following his unopposed win, Dalal said, “Today I have been declared winner, so the first lotus has bloomed in Gujarat and in the country.” He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda, state CM Bhupendra Patel and state unit chief CR Paatil for the faith they showed in him.

“This is the first step towards the formation of a full majority government…” Mukesh Dalal added.

Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel extended his best wishes to Dalal and said, “Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Surat Lok Sabha seat candidate Shri Mukeshbhai Dalal for being elected unopposed.”

CM Patel said that this was the beginning of the BJP’s “historic victory” in the nation’s general elections.

“This is a clear indication of the lotus blossoming with BJP’s resounding victory in all 26 seats in Gujarat and the realization of the resolve of #AbKiBaar400Paar under the leadership of Hon’ble Modiji. #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar,” the Gujarat CM said in a post on X.

BJP Gujarat’s unit chief CR Paatil took to X on Monday and said, “Surat has presented the first Lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I congratulate our candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for getting elected unopposed.”

The nomination of the grand old party’s candidate from Surat, Nilesh Kumbhani, was rejected after the district returning officer prima facie found discrepancies in the signature of the proposers.

Then, the nomination form of Congress’ substitute candidate, Suresh Padsala, was also declared invalid.

Notably, on the last day of withdrawal of the nomination forms on Monday, as many as 8 candidates which included mostly Independents and Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Pyarelal Bharti, withdrew their papers.

Of the 24 nominations filed, 12 including two Congress’ candidates were rejected while 12 others withdrew.

The last time someone won uncontested in the general election was back in 1989, when Mohammad Shafi Bhat of the National Conference won unopposed from the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir.

Controversy In Political Circuit

Meanwhile, the development triggered a controversy in the politically charged state, where all 26 Lok Sabha seats will vote on May 7 in the third phase of the seven-phase general election.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi slammed the rejection of his party’s candidate and said that “the true face of the dictator is once again in front of the country!”

“Taking away the right of the people to choose their leader is another step towards destroying the Constitution of Baba Saheb Ambedkar,” he added. In his X post, he ‘reiterated’ that this election is one to save the nation, to protect the Constitution.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the rejection of his party’s candidates and said that “they were left without a candidate”. He questioned the decision of declaring Mukesh Dalal to be “unopposed”, just about two weeks before the polling.

“Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution – everything is in grave danger. I repeat – this is the most important election of our lifetime!” Ramesh said in his post on X.

Responding to the criticism over Dalal’s unopposed victory, BJP leader Zubin Ashara said, “Those Urban naxals who are outraging over BJP’s Surat Candidate Mukesh Dalal winning Loksabha elections unopposed, do they know that there were 10 unopposed winners in the first Lok Sabha in 1951 and 11 in the second Lok Sabha in 1957? When Pandit Nehru was the PM.”

“And it didn’t stop there, many other leaders of “INDI” alliance have won unopposed after that time period as well,” Ashara said in his post on X.

Dimple Yadav of SP 2012, Dil Kumari of Sikkim Sangram Parishad 1985, Farooq Abdullah of NC 1980, Premalabai of Congress in 1973, P M Sayeed of Congress in 1971, Yashwantrao Chavan of Congress in 1963, Ashara listed the previous unopposed wins from other parties.

He noted that “Mukesh Dalal ji is the first BJP member to win unopposed.”

Who is Mukesh Dalal?

Born in 1961, Dalal is an old time party workers of the BJP. He has held several posts of responsibilties for the party in Surat.

With a LLB and MBA, Mukesh Dalal has a wide range of exposure in the textile industry. Apart from being the former chairman of the Surat People’s Bank, he has also been elected to the corporation thrice.

This is Dalal’s 43rd year of active politics with the saffron camp.

(With PTI inputs)

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