Nilesh Kumbhani, previously a Congress candidate from Surat in the Lok Sabha polls, is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sources suggest his induction into the BJP could happen this week.
Amidst reports of Nilesh's soon-to-be BJP membership, Congress activists are protesting outside his residence, denouncing him as a traitor to the people and a murderer of democracy.
After the BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal's uncontested victory in Surat, Nilesh too was thrust into the limelight. The day before the victory, Nilesh's nomination was canceled due to alleged discrepancies in his proposers' signatures.
Post-BJP Candidate's Uncontested Victory, Congress Reaches Supreme Court
Following BJP's Mukesh Dalal's uncontested victory in the Surat Lok Sabha seat, Congress has approached the Election Commission. They claim that Dalal was declared winner through undue influence. Congress demands a re-election for this seat, insisting BJP tried to fix the match fearing business community backlash.
What's the Entire Controversy About?
BJP's Mukesh Dalal was declared the unchallenged winner from the Surat Lok Sabha seat. Just a day prior to this, the Returning Officer had annulled Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination over alleged irregularities in his proposers' signatures. Ever since the Congress candidates’ nominations were canceled, the remaining eight contenders also retracted their candidacy. As a result, BJP's Mukesh Dalal was elected without opposition and has been issued the certificate of victory by the Election Commission. This marks the first instance of a BJP MP being elected unopposed in a Lok Sabha election.
Voting for all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat is to be held on May 7, during the third phase—April 19 marked the last day for submitting nominations, and April 22 is the last day for withdrawal. From Surat Lok Sabha seat, a total of 11 candidates, including from Congress and BJP, had filed their nominations. BJP nominated Mukesh Dalal, Congress had Nilesh Kumbhani, BSP had Pyarelal Bharti, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party had Abdul Hamid Khan, Global Republican Party had Jayesh Mewada, and Log Party had Sohail Khan. Independent candidates were Ajit Singh Umat, Kishor Diayani, Baraiya Rameshbhai, and Bharat Prajapati. Additionally, Congress had filed an alternate candidate Suresh Padsala, but his nomination was also dismissed due to proposer issues. Since 1989, the BJP has maintained a stronghold over the Surat Lok Sabha seat, which was previously held five times by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
It is noteworthy that while all 26 constituencies in Gujarat are scheduled to vote on May 7, following the declaration of the BJP candidate as uncontested winner in Surat, only the remaining 25 seats will now undergo voting.
