In a first, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal on Monday won the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Surat unopposed days before voting. Yes! you heard it right. Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in Surat was supposed to be held on May 7, 2024, however, even before that BJP has sealed its first seat. Mukesh Dalal won the Surat Lok Sabha Polls 2024 after the poll body had rejected the nomination of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani after his proposers claimed that they didn't sign his papers. Now, the question arises how did Mukesh Dalal win the Lok Sabha elections 2024 without even voting? Below is what you should know-
How did Mukesh Dalal win the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 without voting?
The answer is Congress candidate's botched-up papers. As per reports, the nomination papers of the Congress 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.
Thereafter, the Congress’ backup candidate Suresh Padsala also met the same fate. As a result, the electoral body removed the Indian National Congress (INC) from the electoral contest in this key city.
As per a newswire, 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. Surat Lok Sabha Candidates controversy first sparked after Dinesh Jodhani, the election agent for the BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal, raised objections. Thereafter, the proposers refused they sign the nomination papers of the Congress party candidates.
How candidates can be elected unopposed?
As per reports, The Election Commission of India, in its handbook for returning officers, has important details about “unopposed returns". It says: “If in any constituency there is only one contesting candidate, declare that candidate to have been duly elected immediately after the last hour for withdrawal of candidature. In that event, a poll is not necessary."
It is worth mentioning that the concept of a candidate being declared elected unopposed in parliamentary or assembly elections is rare in the intricate tapestry of India's democracy.
Uncontested election wins have been a phenomenon since the time India elected its first parliament in 1951-52. Reports suggest that there have been 23 Lok Sabha candidates who have won their respective seats uncontested. Below is a list of candidates who won Lok Sabha seats unopposed-
Anand Chand (Bilaspur)
T.A. Ramalingam Chettiar (Coimbatore)
Major Gen. H.S. Himmasinhji (Halar, Saurashtra)
T. Sangana (Rayagada-Phulbani)
Krishna Charya Joshi (Yadgir, Hyderabad)
Mangrubabu Uike (Mandla, Madhya Pradesh)
H.J. Siddananjappa (Hassan, Mysore)
D. Satyanarayana Raju (Rajahmundhary, Andhra Pradesh)
Sangam Laxmi Bai (Viccarabad, Andhra Pradesh)
Bijoy Chandra Bhagawati (Darrang, Assam)
T.T. Krishnamachari from Tiruchendur in Madras state
Harekrushna Mahtab (Angul, Odisha)
Manabendra Shah (Tehri Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh).