BJP draws first blood, bags Surat unopposed

SURAT: The BJP won its first seat in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, as its candidate Mukesh Dalal was on Monday declared elected from Surat, after the nomination of Congress candidate was rejected and other candidates withdrew from the fray.

Dalal won uncontested - the election was scheduled on May 7 - after the other candidates withdrew on Monday, the last day of withdrawal of papers. They included four Independents, three from smaller parties and Pyarelal Bharti of Bahujan Samaj Party.

On Sunday, the nomination of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected after a preliminary examination revealed inconsistencies in the signatures of proposers, an election official said.

The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress’ “substitute” candidate from Surat, was also invalidated.

“I declare that Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal, sponsored by the BJP, has been duly elected to fill the seat in the House from Surat parliamentary constituency,” election officer Saurabh Pardhi told reporters, after handing over the certificate of election to Dalal.

“Surat has presented the first Lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I congratulate our candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for getting elected unopposed,” state BJP president CR Paatil posted on X.