Surat Lok Sabha Election 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opened its account in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 before counting after party candidate Mukesh Dalal won the Surat constituency in Gujarat unopposed on Monday. Earlier, the poll body had rejected the nomination of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani after his proposers claimed that they didn't sign his papers. The Congress' backup candidate Suresh Padsala also met the same fate, effectively removing the 'Grand Old Party' from the electoral contest in this key city.
In a huge setback to the Gujarat Congress, the nomination papers of the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Surat Nilesh Kumbhani rejected after his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer that they had not signed his nomination form.
The decision was announced by the district Returning Officer, Sourabh Pardhi, who noted that the signatures on the nomination forms needed to be more genuine. The proposers denied having signed the forms themselves.
The controversy arose just after Dinesh Jodhani, the election agent for the BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal, raised objections.
In response, Kumbhani defended the authenticity of the signatures, suggesting that a handwriting expert and the signatories verify them. Despite these efforts, the Returning Officer confirmed the rejections based on the affidavits and additional evidence presented during the scrutiny.
The Congress party, represented by its lawyer Babu Mangukiya, plans to challenge the decision in the higher courts.
Though, Congress' candidates nomination was rejected, other contenders who took back their nominations include:
- Log Party's Soheil Shekh
- Global Republican Party's Jayeshbahi Mevada
- Independents including Bharatbhai Prajapti, AjitSinh Bhupatsinh Umat, Kishorebhai Dayani and Baraiya Rameshbhai Parsottambhai
- Bahujan Samaj Party's Pyarelal Bharti
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party's Abdul Hamid Khan
Reported by Shailesh Champaneria
