After BJP wins Surat seat unopposed, Congress candidate goes 'missing'

Hours after his Lok Sabha nomination was rejected over alleged discrepancies, Congress's Surat leader Nilesh Kumbani has reportedly gone missing.

According to local media reports, several Congress workers gathered outside his locked house to protest with posters reading janata ka gaddar (people's traitor)" amidst reports that Kumbhani may join the BJP.

The dramatic development comes a day after the BJP secured its first Lok Sabha seat unopposed in Surat after all rival candidates withdrew from the contest.

The Congress has approached the Election Commission, claiming that Congress has approached the Election Commission, alleging that the ruling BJP in Gujarat exerted "wrong and undue influence", and demanded a restart of the poll process.

"We have therefore requested the Election Commission to postpone the election in Surat and redo the election shorty to send a clear message that you cannot take advantage of this kind of wrong undue influence," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters after meeting the Election Commissioners yesterday.

With eight out of nine eligible candidates withdrawing from the fray in Surat Lok Sabha seat earlier in the day, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner, a release from the office of the Gujarat chief electoral officer said.

"Between April 12 and 19, a total of 433 candidates submitted nomination forms for 26 Lok Sabha seats. Apart from this, 37 candidates submitted nomination forms for bypolls to five assembly seats," it said.

"During the scrutiny process held on April 20 and 21, nomination forms of 105 Lok Sabha candidates were rejected, taking the number down to 328. Similarly, 27 candidates for assembly by-polls remained eligible following the scrutiny," it added.

After 62 eligible Lok Sabha candidates withdrew their nomination forms till Monday, 266 candidates (including Mukesh Dalal) were left, said the release.

The number of candidates for the five assembly bypolls went down to 24 after three withdrew nominations, the release added.

While Ahmedabad-East Lok Sabha sea has the highest number of candidates at 18, the lowest is three in Bardoli (ST) seat, as per the release.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray are Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his cabinet colleagues Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala.

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