Mukesh Dalal, Bhartiya Janta Party's (BJP) candidate won from Surat (Gujrat) unopposed. Dalal created history by becoming the first MP in the ongoing election. He was announced the winner after all the other candidates withdrew their nominations.
It is to be noted that the application of the Congress candidate Nilesh Khumbani was rejected by the election body claiming some discrepancies in the signature of the proposer." The incident has a similar script as one of the episodes of a very famous Indian Sitcom (Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah)". Later the election body also rejected the nomination form of Congress's backup candidate Suresh Padsala. Following the rejection the other candidates withdrew their nomination leaving the BJP candidate with a smooth path to victory.
"I declare that Mukesh Kumar Chandrakant Dalal, sponsored by the BJP, has been duly elected to fill the seat in the House from the Surat parliamentary constituency," said the election officer Saurabh Pardhi.
Dalal has been elected as the MP for the first time. He has formerly worked as a corporator for Surat Municipal Corporation, a member of the Surat District Cricket Association committee, and chairman of People’s Cooperative Bank. It is the first time that a BJP candidate has become a Lok Sabha MP without a contest.
"Surat offered the first lotus to make our Narendrabhai Prime Minister again," said the BJP Gujrat cell on X.
MP certificate was given to Dalal on Monday by Surat District Collector and Election Officer Saurabh Pardhi.
Congress accused the ruling party by calling it a "Match Fixing". Congress leader and advocate Babu Mangukiya claimed that Kumbhani's three proposers were kidnapped and added that the Returning Officer should investigate the claim and not whether the form has been signed or not.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Seeing the problems and anger of MSME owners and businessmen during the injustice period of PM Modi, BJP is so scared that it is trying to 'fix the match' of Surat Lok Sabha. They have been winning this seat continuously since 1984 Lok Sabha elections."
"Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution - everything is in grave danger. I repeat - this is the most important election of our lifetime," he added.
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