In response to the unopposed victory of BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal in Gujarat's Surat constituency, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto condemned the situation as a blatant disregard for the democratic election process. Crasto highlighted the controversy surrounding the invalidation of the Congress candidate's nomination due to purported issues with witness signatures, calling for a thorough scrutiny of the matter.
"What has happened in Surat is an absolute mockery of the election process in our democracy. The EC representatives there declared the nomination of the Congress candidate invalid because the signatures of witnesses were invalid. The fact is that this has to be scrutinised clearly, and after that all the other Independent candidates withdrew their nominations, and he (Mukesh Dalal) was declared unopposed. This is something the Election Commission should look into suo moto and see why this is happening."
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According to Crasto, the withdrawal of nominations by all other independent candidates after the invalidation of the Congress candidate's nomination raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in Surat. He urged the Election Commission to take suo moto action and investigate why such incidents are occurring, emphasizing the importance of upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring fair and transparent elections. Crasto's remarks underscore the broader concerns regarding the impartiality and effectiveness of electoral oversight, calling for greater accountability and transparency in the electoral process to safeguard the democratic rights of citizens. Congratulating Dalal, Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil said, "Congratulations and best wishes to Mukesh Dalal, candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat, for being elected unopposed."
Meanwhile, the Congress accused the ruling BJP of foul play, claiming that everyone was scared of the government's threat. Congress leader and advocate Babu Mangukiya said that Kumbhani's three proposers were kidnapped, adding that the Returning Officer should investigate it and not whether the form has been signed or not. Mangukiya said that it was wrong to cancel the form without tele-checking the signatures and without checking whether the proposers' signatures are correct or wrong.