Unopposed, BJP's Mukesh Dalal declared winner from Surat | Lok Sabha polls

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner from Gujarat’s Surat Lok Sabha constituency, after all other contenders were disqualified or withdrew from the contest.

Congress' candidate Nilesh Kumbhani was disqualified on Sunday after officials found discrepancies in the nomination papers. Nomination forms of Congress' substitute candidate Suresh Padsala were also found invalid.

The returning officer said they found signatures of the proposers were not genuine.

Eight other candidates, including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Pyarelal Bharti, withdrew from polls.

Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil congratulated Dalal on social media platform X. "Surat has presented the first lotus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I congratulate our candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for getting elected unopposed," Paatil wrote.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed the Surat developments indicate "democracy is under threat". "Our elections, our democracy, Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution - all are under a generational threat. This is the most important election of our lifetime," Ramesh wrote on X.

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