Surat: Gujarat BJP President C.R. Patil with party leader Mukesh Dalal after the latter was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha seat, on Monday, April 21, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
Even before the results were officially announced, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had already secured a victory with Mukesh Dalal winning the Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed.
How did Mukesh Dalal win the Surat seat?
This came after the nomination of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected due to irregularities in the signatures of backers. Eight other contenders withdrew from the race following the disqualification of Congress’ Nilesh Kumbhani and his replacement.
The rejection was carried out under Section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act, which allows the Returning Officer (RO) to examine and reject nominations based on valid objections.
Gujarat sends 26 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha.
Controversy over Dalal’s victory
The BJP’s Surat win had sparked a massive row, with the Congress alleging that the ruling BJP in Gujarat used “wrong and undue influence” and pressured candidates into withdrawing nominations. Many others had pointed out that not polling in the constituency was a violation of voters’ right as he/she could also opt for the NOTA option.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated on Monday that in cases of uncontested polls, the Election Commission intervenes if other candidates withdraw their nominations under duress.
He also suggested that any rule preventing a person from being declared the winner in uncontested elections might not align with the law. His remarks were in response to a question about a Supreme Court ruling on the ‘none of the above’ option concerning candidates elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha or state assemblies.
Surat Lok Sabha seat
The Surat Lok Sabha constituency is a general category seat, comprising seven legislative assembly segments: Olpad, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Katargam, and Surat West. All these assembly segments are represented by BJP members, showcasing the party’s strong influence in the region.
Five facts about Mukesh Dalal
1. Mukesh Dalal, born on May 8, 1961, in Surat, is a member of the Modh Vanik trader community. He holds bachelor’s degrees in commerce and law and a Master’s in Business Administration. He has previously served as the chairman of the Surat People’s Cooperative Bank Limited.
2. Dalal joined the BJP in 1981. He initially worked with the BJP Yuva Morcha at the state level and later became an executive member of the party’s Surat unit.
3. In 2005, he was elected as a corporator of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) from the Adajan-Pal-Palanpor area, serving as a corporator from 2005 to 2020.
4. For the 2024 elections, the BJP nominated Mukesh Dalal for the Surat Lok Sabha seat, replacing the two-time MP Darshana Jardosh. Surat is a significant constituency in Gujarat, having previously sent prominent figures like Morarji Desai and Kashiram Rana to Parliament.
5. Dalal also serves as the general secretary of the BJP’s Surat city unit and is a committee member of the Surat District Cricket Association (SDCA).
Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 parliamentarians to the Lower House, was showing an interesting trend. While the BJP was ahead on
First Published: Jun 04 2024 | 9:13 AM IST
