Even Before the Vote count for the 2024 Lok Sabha election result has started, the BJP has already drawn its first blood of win from the Surat, Gujarat Constituency.
It was 22 April, when the BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal won the constituency uncontested.
What Happened?
Previously, along with Mukesh Dalal, 8 candidates were in the electoral race until just a day before, Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination was rejected and the other 7 also withdrew from the contest. His candidacy was rejected because of alleged discrepancis in the signatures of their proposers, basically hint of forged signatires. The candidatures were dismissed under Section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 19, which permits the RO to examine and reject nominations based on valid objections.
Mukesh Dalal’s uncontested win challenged in High Court
Though on his uncontested win, A petition has been filed in Gujarat High Court on 3rd June Monday seeking to declare the unopposed election of BJP candidate from the Surat Lok Sabha seat null and void. The petitioners, claiming to be voters of Surat, have contended that the decision of returning officer (RO) to reject the nomination of Congress candidate was not in “consonance with provisions under Representation of People Act (RPA), 1951.”
The election petition has been jointly filed by Kalpesh Barot, Zahir Shaikh and Ashok Pimpley through lawyer P S Champaneri in the high court. When contacted, Champaneri while confirming the filing of petition said that the petitioners are voters of Surat who have challenged the decision of the rejection of candidature of Congress candidate as “absolutely illegal”, which paved the way for BJP’s candidate win the seat without contest.
