GUWAHATI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured its first victory in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Monday as its candidate from Gujarat's Surat constituency won uncontested. This came about after the nomination papers of the main opposition Congress candidate were rejected, and other candidates withdrew.
The announcement of the BJP's win was made by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who congratulated the party's victorious candidate, Mukeshbhai Dalal, on social media.
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The Congress’s setback came after the nomination papers of the party’s candidate, Nilesh Kumbhani, were rejected on Sunday due to inconsistencies in the signatures of his proposers. Suresh Padsala, the alternate Congress candidate from Surat, also had his nomination rejected for similar reasons, effectively leaving the opposition party out of the race in this key constituency.
Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi explained that the nomination was rejected after a preliminary examination revealed discrepancies in the signatures of the proposers. According to election nomination rules, a candidate backed by a recognised political party requires at least one voter from the constituency to propose their candidacy, while independent or unrecognised party candidates require ten electors to sign as proposers.
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The Congress has indicated its intention to challenge the rejection of its candidate’s nomination papers in the high court.