Tag: BJP

Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha elections: Seats, schedule, NDA candidates and more

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Andhra Pradesh, comprising 25 parliamentary constituencies, is among the few states where the local political parties are popular among the masses, while the national parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress — have to struggle for seats.

Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the state Assembly polls will be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

To achieve its target of ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’ (400 seats this time), the BJP is contesting polls in the state in alliance with N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP). In a triangular contest, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is pitted against the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which includes the Left Front, and the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

During the 2019 general elections, the YSRCP emerged as the largest party in Andhra Pradesh, winning 22 of the 25 seats and receiving a vote share of 49.89%. The remaining three constituencies went to the TDP, which secured a 40.19% vote share. The BJP and Congress, meanwhile, failed to open their accounts in the state.

As per the seat-sharing agreement in the NDA, the TDP is contesting on 17 parliamentary constituencies, while the BJP has got six seats and left the remaining two for Pawan Kalyan’s JSP.

Voting dates

Polling for the 2024 general elections in the state will be conducted in the fourth phase on May 13. All the seats in Andhra Pradesh will vote in a single phase. During the 2019 polls, the state registered a total voter turnout of 80.38%.

Total seats

In total, there are 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state. Along with Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh is the ninth-largest state in the number of Lok Sabha seats. Out of the 25 constituencies, four seats are reserved for the SC candidates, while one is reserved for the SC candidates. The remaining 20 seats are unreserved.

NDA candidates

With the help of BJP and JSP, the TDP is planning for a strong comeback in the state, both in Lok Sabha as well as in the state Assembly polls. Here is a list of candidates announced by the NDA allies for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh.

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LS polls phase 2: Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor in fray; Hema Malini, Om Birla eyeing hat-trick

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Bhartiya Janata Party’s Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies.

Staggered over seven stages, the first phase of the elections was held on April 19 for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories. It saw a voter turnout of around 65.5%.

In the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 26, polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

Gandhi is the sitting MP from Wayanad in Kerala and is seeking re-election. He is pitted against CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran. In the 2019 election, Gandhi secured victory by a substantial margin of more than 7 lakh votes against his closest rival, CPI’s PP Suneer.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor is hoping to retain the Thiruvananthapuram seat for the fourth time. He is pitted against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the BJP and CPI’s Pannyan Raveendran. Malini, who has represented the Mathura constituency since 2014, is contesting against Congress’ Mukesh Dhangar while Om Birla, a two-time MP from Kota, is facing Prahlad Gunjal from the Congress party.

Union minister Shekhawat is eyeing a third win from the Jodhpur seat while Congress candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda would look to put a spanner in the works of the BJP candidate. Tejasvi Surya, the sitting MP for Bangalore South and the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), will face Congress’ Sowmya Reddy.

Former chief minister of Chhattisgarh and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon, a stronghold of the BJP for over 30 years. Baghel is pitted against BJP’s Santosh Pandey, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections succeeding Abhishek Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Raman Singh, also from the BJP.

Replacing three-time MP Rajendra Agarwal, who has been holding the Meerut seat since 2004, Arun Govil, famous for portraying Lord Ram’s character in Ramayan TV series, is making his electoral debut against BSP’s Devvrat Kumar Tyagi and SP’s Sunita Verma.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Virendra Kumar Khatik is eyeing a fourth win from Tikamgarh. The Congress has fielded a new face, Pankaj Ahirwar, from the constituency. In 2019, Khatik defeated Congress’ Kiran Ahirwar by a margin of over 3.48 lakh votes.

The contest for the Alappuzha seat in Kerala has turned into a prestige battle for the Congress with All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary KC Venugopal’s return to the Lok Sabha poll fray after 2014 as the party looks to wrest the only seat it lost to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in its landslide 19-1 victory in Kerala in the 2019 polls. Venugopal has not lost any major election in his career. He won the Alappuzha Assembly seat thrice in a row in 1996, 2001, and 2006 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Alappuzha in 2009 and 2014.

In 2019, he did not contest after the party elevated him to the post of the AICC general secretary. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi is also in the fray from Thrissur against K Muraleedharan of Congress and VS Sunil Kumar of CPI(M).

Sukanta Majumdar, incumbent BJP MP from Balurghat in West Bengal is seeking re-election. He is pitted against Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Party.

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Congress in a soup over Sam Pitroda’s ‘inheritance tax’ remark; know who said what

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Sam Pitroda, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, on Wednesday put the grand old party on the backfoot, with his comments on the ‘inheritance tax’ in the US, adding fuel to the raging issue over wealth distribution in India, amid the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Attacking the Congress party over Pitroda’s remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party’s ‘dangerous intentions’ of snatching the assets and rights of people have come to the fore.

While addressing an election rally in Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district, PM Modi said, “The advisor of ‘shehzada’ of the ‘shahi parivar’, who was also the advisor to the shehzada’s father, said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard”.

Without taking any names, the Prime Minister said the party “will impose a tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress election symbol) will snatch the assets from your children”.

“Their mantra is: Congress loot zindagi ke saath bhi aur zindagi ke baad bhi,” he stated while echoing a phrase popularised by advertisements of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

Sam Pitroda’s statement

Pitroda, who currently lives in Chicago, emphasised the need for policy towards wealth redistribution while speaking with news agency ANI.

“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies, he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair,” Pitroda said.

However, there is no such thing in India, he noted.

“If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing… So, these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss. When we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of the super-rich only,” he added.

BJP attacks Congress

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a jibe at the Congress over Pitroda’s comments and said that the grand old party has now been completely exposed.

“After Sam Pitroda’s remark, the Congress party is completely exposed,” he told ANI.

“…Sam Pitroda’s statement has made Congress’ motive clear before the country. They want to survey the private property of the people of the country, put it in government property and distribute it as per decision during UPA’s regime,” he added.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said Congress has decided to ‘destroy India’.

“Congress has decided to destroy India. Now, Sam Pitroda advocates a 50% inheritance tax for wealth redistribution. This means 50% of whatever we build, with all our hard work and enterprise, will be taken away. 50%, besides all the tax we pay, which too will go up, if the Congress prevails,” he wrote on social media site X.

Congress has decided to destroy India. Now, Sam Pitroda advocates 50% inheritance tax for wealth redistribution. This means 50% of whatever we build, with all our hard work and enterprise, will be taken away. 50%, besides all the tax we pay, which too will go up, if the Congress… https://t.co/4ojS3ZtSRL

— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 24, 2024

Congress distances itself

The Congress distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks and said sensationalising them is an attempt at diverting attention from PM Modi’s ‘malicious’ poll campaign.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about.

“Surely, in a democracy, an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. This does not mean that Pitroda’s views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times, they do not. Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr Narenda Modi’s malicious and mischievous election campaign; which is anchored ONLY in lies and more lies,” Ramesh wrote on X.

Sam Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, including me. He has made numerous, enduring contributions to India’s developments. He is President of the Indian Overseas Congress.

Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 24, 2024

Sam Pitroda issues clarification

As the ruling BJP targeted the Congress party over Pitroda’s comments, he later clarified his remarks in a series of posts on X.

Pitroda noted that it was ‘unfortunate’ that what he said as an individual on inheritance tax had been twisted to “divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto. PM’s comments Mangal Sutra & gold snatching is simply unreal.”

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the party’s manifesto does not mention anything regarding wealth redistribution. He added that it is just a desperate attempt by the BJP to divert people’s attention.

“Nowhere does it (manifesto) talk about wealth redistribution,” Tharoor said.

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Maharashtra: 258 candidates in fray for 11 seats in third phase, all eyes on Baramati

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As many as 258 candidates are in the fray in the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra going to polls in the third phase on May 7 and all eyes will be on Baramati, where two members of the powerful Sharad Pawar family are facing each other.

Baramati in Pune district has the highest number of candidates at 38 followed by Madha (32), Osmanabad (31), Latur (28), Hatkanangale (27), Kolhapur (23), Solapur (21), Sangli (20), Satara (16), Raigad (13) and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg (9), election officials said.

In Baramati, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) candidate Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, is pitted against her sister-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra, the nominee of the ruling NCP.

Two royal scions are also in the fray from different seats — Shahu Chhatrapati in Kolhapur as the Congress candidate and Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara as the BJP nominee. Union minister Narayan Rane is contesting on a BJP ticket from Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri.

Congress rebel Vishal Patil will contest the Sangli Lok Sabha poll as an independent candidate after the seat was allotted to the party’s ally Shiv Sena (UBT).

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Explained: PM Modi’s ‘wealth distribution’ remarks–Part of Congress Manifesto? Or an election manifestation

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comments alleging that the Congress Party, if voted to power, would conduct surveys to seize the wealth of people, has triggered a controversy in the midst of polling season. The Prime Minister, while speaking at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday, said in Hindi:

“Pehle jab inki sarkar thi, inhone kaha tha ki desh ki sampatti pe pehla adhikaar Musalmaanon ka hain. Iska matlab, yeh sampatti ekatthi karke kisko baatengey? Jinke zyaada bacchein unko baatengey. Gusphetiyon ko baatengey”

Translated into English, it reads: When they (Congress) ran the government previously, they said that Muslims had the first right to the nation’s assets. This means they would consolidate those assets. Who would they distribute them to? To those who have more children. They would distribute it to infiltrators.

In the same speech, Prime Minister Modi warned: “Yeh Congress ka Manifesto keh raha hain, ki mataao aur behano ka soney ka hisab karengey, uski jabti karengey, aur phir us sampaati ko baat denge”

As per the Prime Minister, “The Congress manifesto says that it would seize jewellery from women and redistribute them.” He reiterated the same charges while speaking at an election rally in UP’s Aligarh on Monday.

Does the Congress Manifesto promise wealth redistribution?

1. Point 1 under the Social Justice sub-header of the manifesto on page 6 reads:

“Congress will conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.”

The Congress manifesto does not mention seizing private wealth. It discusses conducting a caste census to gather data on caste demographics, which may serve as the basis of any affirmative action policy. The Congress party has been promising a caste census if they form the government. Party MP Rahul Gandhi has referred to it as an X-ray of India.

2. Point 6 on page 6 reads:

“We will enhance institutional credit to SC and ST for homebuilding, starting businesses and purchasing assets.”

The word ‘redistribution’ does not appear in the entire manifesto. However, on page 28, it reads, “We will address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies.”

Does the word Muslim find any mention in the manifesto?

The word Muslim does not appear in the manifesto. The Congress manifesto reads, “We will respect and uphold the fundamental right to practice one’s faith and the rights guaranteed to religious minorities under Articles 15, 16, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30 of the Constitution.”

However, it does not explicitly mention any particular religious minority group. There is no mention of redistributing any kind of wealth to Muslims or for that matter, any religious minority group.

Affirmative action agenda: What it stands for?

Affirmative action typically refers to policies aimed at increasing workplace and educational opportunities for people who are underrepresented in society. Affirmative action, or what we refer to as reservation, is not new to India. Reservations in government jobs and educational institutions fall under the purview of affirmative action.

Congress’ stance

The Congress highlighted the PM’s speech in its list of complaints to ECI, urging them to take action. ECI sources have told CNBC-TV18 that they have received the complaint and the matter is under consideration.

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BJP’s Mukesh Dalal elected unopposed in Surat Lok Sabha race: Key questions answered on India’s electoral process

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from the Surat Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat on Monday, April 22. The victory marks the ruling party’s first win in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as all other nominees withdrew their candidature.

The development follows the rejection of the candidature of Congress’ Nilesh Kumbhani from the Surat seat on Sunday after the district returning officer prima facie found discrepancies in the signature of the proposers. Additionally, the nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress’ substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated.

Voting for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat is scheduled for May 7, but after the Surat seat results were declared, polling will be held on 25 seats.

Except for Dalal, all eight candidates in the fray from Surat—four independents, three from smaller parties, and Pyarelal Bharti of the Bahujan Samaj Party—withdrew their nomination papers on the last day, as per the Surat district election office.

From filing nomination to certificate of election: Here are frequently answered questions (FAQs) to understand how the electoral process works in India

Q: What is the nomination process?

The nomination process begins with the release of the notification for the Lok Sabha elections. Candidates register their names with the Election Commission, asserting themselves as suitable contenders for public votes.

Once all certificates submitted by the candidates are examined, the Election Commission finalises their candidature for the Lok Sabha elections. Only after this approval can candidates enter the election field and campaign for votes.

Q: Who can file a nomination?

Any Indian citizen aged 25 at least and listed on the voter list can file a nomination for a Lok Sabha seat. Candidates nominated by political parties receive a ticket from the party, while independent candidates file nominations with their symbols. The Election Commission examines their applications for symbols and allocates the party symbol accordingly.

Q: How does the nomination process for elections work in India?

Candidates must file their nomination papers, along with the prescribed security deposit, with the returning officer of their respective constituency. These papers contain essential details such as the candidate’s name, address, and party affiliation. They also submit an affidavit, prepared by a notary, providing details of income, expenditure, and other requisite information.

Candidates are required to provide documents such as a passport-sized photo, Aadhar card, PAN card, domicile, caste certificate, etc. They also disclose details of movable and immovable properties, income, expenditure, loans of their spouse and dependent children, educational qualifications, and possession of weapons and jewelry.

If a candidate is involved in any criminal case, they must inform the Election Commission. All these details are provided through an affidavit.

Q: What happens after nomination papers are filed?

The Returning Officer scrutinises the nomination papers to ensure they meet all legal requirements. This includes verifying signatures, deposit payments, and adherence to election guidelines.

During the scrutiny period, objections can be raised against a candidate’s nomination if any discrepancies or violations are found, leading to disqualification. These objections can be made by anyone, and the Returning Officer may reject a nomination based on certain grounds.

Q: What are the grounds for rejecting a nomination?

The Returning Officer can reject a nomination either based on objections raised or on their own initiative. They may reject a nomination for various reasons, including:

Discrepancies in nomination papers: If there are any inconsistencies or errors in the nomination papers.

Non-fulfillment of eligibility criteria: If the candidate does not meet the eligibility criteria required to contest the election.

Forgery or fraud: If there is an evidence of forgery or fraud in the nomination papers.

Non-payment of deposit: If the candidate fails to submit the required security deposit.

Violation of election guidelines: If the nomination violates any election guidelines or regulations.

Q: What happens after the scrutiny of nominations?

Once the Returning Officer completes the scrutiny of all nominations, they prepare a list of candidates whose nominations are found valid. The Returning Officer then publishes this list on their notice board.

Q: What is the role of the returning officer?

The returning officer is responsible for verifying the eligibility of candidates, conducting the scrutiny of nomination papers, and addressing any objections raised. They play a crucial role in ensuring the fairness and legality of the electoral process.

Q: What happens if a candidate’s nomination is rejected?

If a candidate’s nomination is rejected, they have the option to appeal against the decision. However, if the rejection is upheld, the candidate cannot contest the election.

Q: What is the withdrawal process?

After filing nomination papers, the Election Commission scrutinises them, and processes like withdrawal of nominations are completed. Candidates can withdraw their names within a specified time period after filing of nomination. A declaration is given by the candidate on an affidavit for this purpose.

Q: How the certificate of election is granted?

After the election results are declared, the returning officer issues a certificate of election to the winning candidate, officially declaring them elected to the respective seat.

Q: What if a candidate wins unopposed?

If all other candidates withdraw from the fray, leaving only one candidate in the race, that candidate is declared elected unopposed. In that case, the candidate is issued a certificate of election from the returning officer on the same day.

Q: Can a party nominate a substitute candidate?

Yes, parties can nominate substitute candidates if the original nominee’s candidacy is rejected. However, the substitute candidate’s nomination must meet all legal requirements. Usually, all political parties keep a list of substitute candidates and make them file nominations along with the main candidate.

Q: What happens if a candidate wins unopposed in a multi-phase election?

In the case of a multi-phase election, if a candidate wins unopposed, polling in that constituency is not required. The winning candidate is declared elected, and polling is held only for the remaining seats.

Q: How does the election process affect the schedule of polling?

If a candidate wins unopposed, polling for that particular constituency is skipped, and the overall polling schedule may be adjusted accordingly.

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Surat polls: Congress moves EC claiming three proposers of party’s candidate may have been abducted

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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After the walkover for the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in Surat, the Congress moved the Election Commission (EC) to protest the rejection of its candidate’s nomination. The Congress made a detailed submission to the EC seeking a recall of the rejection order and citing grave consequences on the democratic fabric and electoral system of the country.

In its submission to the EC, the Congress has called the situation in Surat “precarious”, even claiming that the three persons who proposed the name of Nilesh Kumbhani, have been coerced into backtracking and have possibly been “abducted”.

For the Surat seat, a total of 10 candidates had filed nominations. Of the 10, eight candidates withdrew their nomination and the Returning Officer rejected the nomination of the Congress candidate. This led to BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal winning the Surat constituency, unopposed.

The Congress in its complaint to the EC has claimed a malafide and motivated conspiracy against its candidate in Surat. The complaint records that it is unprecedented where three persons who had initially proposed the name of the candidate have backtracked.

The party claimed that during the scrutiny of nominations, three proposers — escorted by police — approached the Returning officer to claim that they had backed the Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, under pressure. Importantly, the Congress has flagged to the EC that after meeting the returning officer, three proposers disappeared, and were potentially abducted. The Congress has claimed that their whereabouts are unknown even to immediate family.

The party claimed that there are legitimate doubts that the three proposers have been made under coercion and influence. The Congress flagged how despite the precarious situation, the Returning Officer rejected the nomination ignoring the disappearance. The Congress concluded that the presumption of innocence lies in favour of the contesting candidate and that there are serious doubts about the bonafide nature of the complaints.

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‘First lotus to PM Modi’ as BJP nominee Mukesh Dalal elected unopposed, says state chief

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mukesh Dalal was on Monday, April 22, elected unopposed from the Surat Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat after all other nominees withdrew their candidature, giving the ruling party its first win in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The development follows the rejection of the candidature of Congress’ Nilesh Kumbhani from the Surat seat on Sunday after the district returning officer prima facie found discrepancies in the signature of the proposers. Not just that, 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,” district collector cum election officer Saurabh Pardhi told media persons as he handed over the Certificate of Election to Dalal.
Voting for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat is scheduled for May 7, but after Surat seat results declared, polling will be held on 25 seats.

Except for Dalal, all 8 candidates in the fray from Surat—four independents, three from smaller parties and Pyarelal Bharti of the Bahujan Samaj Party—withdrew their nomination papers on the last day, as per the Surat district election office.

Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that Kumbhani’s nomination form was rejected at the behest of the BJP and said it would challenge the rejection in the High Court. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that democracy is under threat.

“‘Aap chronology samajhiye’ (Understand the chronology): Surat District Election Officer rejects the Congress’ candidate for Surat Lok Sabha Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination for ‘discrepancies in the verification of signatures of three proposers’. On similar grounds, officials reject the nomination of Suresh Padsala, the INC’s substitute candidate from Surat. The Congress is left without a candidate,” he said on ‘X’.

Democracy is under threat. Aap chronology samajhiye:

• Surat District Election Officer rejects @INCIndia’s candidate for Surat Lok Sabha, Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination for “discrepancies in verification of signatures of three proposers”

• On similar grounds, officials reject… https://t.co/uEnLeCGOG7

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 22, 2024

“All other candidates withdraw their nomination except the BJP’s candidate, Mukesh Dalal. The BJP candidate declared ‘elected unopposed’ from Surat Lok Sabha seat on April 22, 2024, nearly two weeks before polling on May 7, 2024,” Ramesh added.

The ruling BJP hailed the first win with the party’s state unit president CR Paatil in a post on X saying, “Surat has presented the first Lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I congratulate our candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for getting elected unopposed.”

માનનીય પ્રધાનમંત્રી શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઇ મોદી સાહેબને સુરતે પહેલું કમળ અર્પણ કર્યું !!

સુરત લોકસભા બેઠકના ઉમેદવાર શ્રી મુકેશભાઇ દલાલને બિનહરીફ ચૂંટાવવા બદલ ખૂબ ખૂબ અભિનંદન અને શુભેચ્છાઓ પાઠવ્યા !! #PhirEKBarModiSarkar#AbkiBaar400Paar pic.twitter.com/w87WSrla5s

— C R Paatil (Modi Ka Parivar) (@CRPaatil) April 22, 2024

The last time someone won uncontested in a Lok Sabha election was back in 1989. Mohammad Shafi Bhat of the National Conference won unopposed from the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP won all 26 seats in Gujarat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow