Surat Lok Sabha Seat: Disqualified Congress Candidate May Switch To BJP After Ruling Party's First Unopposed Win
Surat Lok Sabha Seat: Disqualified Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani is speculated to join BJP after the ruling party's candidate Mukesh Dalal won the Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed.
Surat Lok Sabha Seat: Following the setback for Congress in Gujarat's Surat Lok Sabha seat, speculation is rife that its disqualified candidate Nilesh Kumbhani may join the BJP. It is reported that preparations are underway in Congress to legally challenge Kumbhani's move. As per inputs, the BJP has already made arrangements to welcome Nilesh Kumbhani into the party. Kumbhani is expected to join the BJP by the end of this week or later.
On Monday, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner of the Surat Lok Sabha seat after all other candidates withdrew from the race. The rejection of Nilesh Kumbhani's candidature by the district returning officer further fueled the Congress party's allegations of foul play.
Following his victory in the Surat seat, Mukesh Dalal was handed the certificate of election as a Member of Parliament, thereby becoming Surat MP even before polling for that seat.
ALSO READ | Mukesh Dalal Wins Surat LS Seat Unopposed, Day After Congress Candidate's Nomination Rejected
Surat Lok Sabha Seat: Congress Party's Complaint To ECI Alleging 'Match-Fixing'
The Congress party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the uncontested election of the BJP candidate in Surat, alleging undue influence and demanding a restart of the election process in the constituency. The Congress claimed that the BJP resorted to underhanded tactics due to fear of backlash from MSME owners and the business community, even attempting "match-fixing" in a constituency traditionally won by the ruling party, news agency PTI reported.
Abhishek Singhvi, a spokesperson for the Congress, stated, "We have...requested the Election Commission to postpone the election in Surat and redo the election shortly to send a clear message that you cannot take advantage of this kind of wrong undue influence." He emphasised the seriousness of the issue, alleging a blatant disregard for democratic processes.
Singhvi also highlighted the suspicious circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of support for the Congress candidate, claiming, "In Surat, the Congress candidate was nominated by four proposals, but, suddenly all four stood up and denied their signatures... His candidature is rejected by the returning officer", as quoted by PTI.
Addressing the situation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP, stating, "The dictator's 'asli surat' (true face) is once again bared in front of the country." He underscored the importance of preserving democracy and the Constitution, portraying the election as a crucial battle for the nation's future.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed similar sentiments, asserting, "Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution -- all are under a generational threat." He outlined the sequence of events leading to the BJP candidate's uncontested victory, painting a grim picture of the erosion of democratic norms.
Meanwhile, Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil celebrated Dalal's uncontested win, hailing it as a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Surat offered first lotus to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi !! Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Mukeshbhai Dalal, candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat, for being elected unopposed!!" Paatil remarked.
માનનીય પ્રધાનમંત્રી શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઇ મોદી સાહેબને સુરતે પહેલું કમળ અર્પણ કર્યું !!
— C R Paatil (Modi Ka Parivar) (@CRPaatil) April 22, 2024
સુરત લોકસભા બેઠકના ઉમેદવાર શ્રી મુકેશભાઇ દલાલને બિનહરીફ ચૂંટાવવા બદલ ખૂબ ખૂબ અભિનંદન અને શુભેચ્છાઓ પાઠવ્યા !! #PhirEKBarModiSarkar#AbkiBaar400Paar pic.twitter.com/w87WSrla5s
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel took to X, formerly Twitter, to extend his heartfelt congratulations to Mukeshbhai Dalal, the candidate from the Surat Lok Sabha seat. He stated, "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Mukeshbhai Dalal on being elected uncontested from the Surat Lok Sabha seat. This marks the beginning of BJP's historic victory in the Lok Sabha elections, including Gujarat and across India."
According to official data, a total of 433 candidates filed nominations for 26 Lok Sabha seats between April 12 and 19. Additionally, 37 candidates submitted nomination papers for by-polls in five assembly seats. During the scrutiny process on April 20 and 21, nomination forms of 105 Lok Sabha candidates were rejected, reducing the number to 328.
As 62 eligible Lok Sabha candidates withdrew their nomination forms by Monday, 266 candidates (including Mukesh Dalal) were left, the release stated.
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