The monumental task of counting votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Alongside, results for the Assembly elections in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, which coincided with the voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha, will also be announced.
In particular, today’s expected results include 175 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, 147 in Odisha, and by polls in 25 constituencies.
Before the official results were declared, the BJP already celebrated a victory as Mukesh Dalal won the Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed.
BREAKING- BJP wins 1st seat of Lok Sabha unopposed, Surat seat won without competition pic.twitter.com/qSnfrqLS1d
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) April 22, 2024
This victory followed the rejection of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination due to irregularities in the signatures of his supporters.
Subsequently, eight other candidates withdrew from the race after Kumbhani’s disqualification and the nomination of his replacement.
The rejection was made under Section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act, empowering the Returning Officer to examine and reject nominations based on legitimate objections. Gujarat contributes 26 members to the Lok Sabha.
BJP’s victory in Surat sparked controversy
BJP’s unopposed victory in Surat sparked significant controversy, with the Congress accusing the ruling party in Gujarat of using undue influence to pressure candidates into withdrawing their nominations.
Critics argued that not holding a poll in the constituency infringed on voters rights, as they would not have the opportunity to choose the NOTA (None of the Above) option.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addressed the issue on Monday, stating that the Election Commission steps in when candidates withdraw their nominations under coercion.
He also noted that any rule preventing a candidate from being declared the winner in uncontested elections might not be legally sound.
His comments came in response to a query about a Supreme Court ruling on the NOTA option for candidates elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha or state assemblies.
Surat Lok Sabha constituency, which is a general category seat, includes seven legislative assembly segments: Olpad, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Katargam, and Surat West.
Each of these segments is represented by BJP members, highlighting the party’s strong presence and influence in the area.
