Amid controversy, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal's uncontested victory for the Surat parliamentary seat has provoked uproar. After the Congress candidate's nomination was rejected, leaving no opponents, Dalal was elected unopposed. The Congress party has now reported this matter to the Election Commission.
According to Congress, Dalal was unfairly declared the winner due to undue influence. The party argues that a fresh election should be conducted for this seat. They claim that BJP feared the entrepreneurial community, leading to attempts at election manipulation in Surat.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi has voiced concerns that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule, small and medium-scale entrepreneurs face distress, and BJP's fear of their anger led to alleged electoral malpractices. Stating that the nation's elections and democracy are at risk, Singhvi calls the forthcoming election critically significant.
A delegation of Congress leaders met with the Chief Election Commissioner, pressing for Surat's electoral process to be reinitiated. Post-meeting, Singhvi urged the Election Commission to suspend the current proceedings and expedite re-election to send a clear message against unjust influence.
Singhvi also remarked that it wasn't a mere coincidence that all proposers backtracked on endorsing the Congress candidate. He highlighted the candidate's mysterious disappearance and the subsequent withdrawal of nomination by other candidates as suspicious occurrences.
Singhvi questioned, if elections are not desired and the Surat seat is to be served on a platter, then what's the need for electoral process?
What is the controversy?
BJP's Mukesh Dalal's uncontested victory was declared for the Surat Lok Sabha seat. One day prior, Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination was invalidated by the returning officer citing discrepancies in proposer signatures.
After the Congress candidate's nomination cancellation, the remaining eight candidates also withdrew, resulting in Dalal's unopposed election. The Election Commission awarded him the certificate of victory, marking a rare event in Lok Sabha elections for a BJP candidate to win without opposition.
It's noteworthy that the election for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat, including Surat, was scheduled for 7th May, with 11 candidates having filed nominations for the Surat parliamentary seat. Besides the BJP and Congress candidates, individuals from BSP, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party, and others contested, including independents. Subsequent to nomination cancellations, the Congress alternative candidate's nomination was also disqualified.
Gujarat's BJP has maintained control over the Surat Lok Sabha seat since 1989, which was previously held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, a five-time MP from this area.
