Surat Election Result 2024: Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal From BJP Declared Uncontested Winner

Surat Election Result 2024: Surat Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 26 constituencies in Gujarat and is classified as a general category seat. On April 22, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared the uncontested winner after the withdrawal of all other eight candidates. This followed the rejection of the Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination papers due to alleged discrepancies in the signatures of their proposers. The nominations were dismissed under Section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act, which allows the Returning Officer to examine and reject nominations based on valid objections. BJP has consistently maintained its dominance in Surat in past elections. 

Surat's uncontested result challenged in Gujarat HC?

A petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court, seeking to nullify the unopposed election of the BJP candidate from the Surat Lok Sabha seat, as per Deccan Herald reports. The petitioners, who are voters from Surat, argue that the Returning Officer's (RO) decision to reject the Congress candidate's nomination was not in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

Mukesh Dalal of the BJP was declared the winner after the Congress candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, had his nomination rejected, and the other candidates withdrew their names. A writ petition is also expected to be filed to declare the result illegal. Previously, the Gujarat High Court had dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL), suggesting that the issue should be addressed through an election petition.

The petitioners contend that Section 36 of the RPA is a comprehensive code for determining the validity of nomination forms. One clause specifies that the RO should not adjourn the scrutiny of the papers or delay it for any reason except in cases of riot, open violence, or causes beyond control. In this instance, the petitioners assert that no such circumstances were present to justify the RO's decision.

What happened in 2019?

In the 2019 general elections, Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod of BJP won with 701,984 votes, while the runner-up, Thakor Rajendrasinh Shivsinh, secured 432,997 votes. In the 2014 elections, Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod also won, with a margin of 508,437 votes against Kandhalbhai Sarmanbhai Jadeja from NCP, who received 240,466 votes. The Surat Lok Sabha constituency covers part of the Surat district and includes seven legislative assembly segments: Olpad, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Katargam, and Surat West. All these assembly seats are currently held by BJP.