Lok Sabha Polls: How Surat 'Miracle' Got BJP to Win its First LS Seat Uncontested

A total of 15 candidates filed nominations, eight of them withdrew, six other nominations, including those of two Congress candidates and a BSP candidate were rejected, and the BJP’s Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal emerged as the unchallenged winner in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. This “miracle” took place in a key seat of Gujarat with a candidate winning an uncontested seat after 35 years. Dalal was also handed his winning certificate, 15 days before polling on May 7. The last time a candidate won a regular Lok Sabha election uncontested, was 1989 with the National Conference for the Srinagar seat. This is the first time that the BJP has won a Lok Sabha seat uncontested, while the Congress has won like this on 22 such occasions till 1977. First, let’s take a look at who filed nominations from the Surat seat. These included Vijay Lohar of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party, Soheil Sheikh of the Log Party, Jayeshbhai Mevada of the Global Republican Party, and Abdul Hamid Khan of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party. Five independents were in the fray – Bharatbhai Prajapati, Poka Ram, Ajit Sinh Bhupatsinh Umat, Kishorebhai Dayan and Baraiya Rameshbhai Parsottambhai.   Others who filed nominations included two BSP candidates, Parmar Nareshbhai and Pyarelal Bharti. Two Congress candidates also filed nominations, Sureshbhai Padsala and Kumbhani Nileshbhai. A second BJP candidate, Kachhadiya Janakkumar, had also filed his nomination besides Dalal. But eight of these 15 candidates withdrew their nominations later, including four independents, the BSP’s Pyarelal Bharti as well as candidates of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party, Log Party, and Global Republican Party. The Election Commission of India rejected six nominations for technical reasons, including those of both the Congress candidates as well as their replacement candidate. The nomination of Parmar Nareshbhai, Kachhadiya Janakkumar, Vijay Lohar and Poka Ram were also rejected. The nominations of both the Congress candidates were rejected due to discrepancies in the signatures of proposers in the nomination forms after they were found not to be genuine, as per the returning officer. The proposers had filed an affidavit saying they never signed on the form of these candidates. The Congress has decided to approach the high court against the decision.