Lok Sabha elections otherwise known as General Elections generally happens after every 5 years. For the first time Lok Sabha Election took place in the year 1951/52. Presently the elections for 18th Lok Sabha are going on. There have been many winners who won the elections without even contest, as there were no candidate opposing them for the contest. From the first elections of 1951/52 to current elections of 2024 there have been instances of UNCONTESTED WINNERS in the Lok Sabha elections.
Yesterday, the Election Commission of India has declared that a BJP candidate from Surat Mukesh Dalal’s has won the election unopposed, the reason being that the nomination form of Congress’ candidate was rejected, because the signature of proposers were found forged, as the proposers themselves acknowledged that the signature on the nomination form were not theirs. Similarly the nomination form of the Congress’ substitute candidate was also rejected on the same count. With the rejection of Congress’ candidates, the independent and other smaller parties backed out of the contest knowing that it will be futile effort to contest against the formidable BJP candidate. So ECI declared Mukesh Patel elected.
With this happening, Congress has started shouting from roof top that injustice is done to their candidate, it is murder of democracy, and BJP with the help of ECI has rigged the election of Surat constituency. Where as the fact is that for last so many elections the Congress party has fared miserably in the Lok Sabha elections, and last two times, ie in 2014 and 2019 they failed to open their account in Gujarat. I do not understand how it can be called murder of democracy, if your candidate does not fill the nomination form properly and his nomination is rejected, then how you can blame the ECI and central govt. As if this has happened first time in the election process over the years, when the ECI has declared Unopposed candidate as Uncontested winner.
Last time this has happened when Akhilesh Yadav, after becoming UP’s Chief Minister resigned from his Lok Sabha seat, then his wife Dimple Yadav was declared elected unopposed from the Kannauj constituency, after two candidates in fray against withdrew their nomination for the by poll. At that time Congress and BSP didn’t field candidates and BJP member failed to file his nomination papers. The remaining two in fray, Dashrath Singh from Samyukt Samajwadi Dal and an independent withdrew their names. That time it was not murder of democracy.
Here is the list of political leaders who were declared winner as there was no other candidates opposing them, so they were Uncontested Winners
1 Year 1951– TA Ramalinga Chettiar of Indian National Congress (INC) won from Coimbtore.
2 Year 1951– T Sangana of INC won from Rayagada Phulba (Odisha)
3 Year 1951– Krishana Charaya Joshi of INC won from Yadgir (Hyderabad)
4 Year 1951 – Maj Gen MS Himatsinhji of INC won from Halar (Saurashtra)
5 Year 1951– Anand Chand-an independent candidate won from Bilaspur.
6 Year 1957– Satyanarayana Raju of INC won from Rajamundry (AP)
7 Year 1957– TN Vishwanath Reddy of INC won from Rajampet (AP)
8 Year 1957– Sangam Lakshmi Bai of INC won from Vicarabad (AP)
9 Year 1957– Bijoy Chandra Bhagvati of INC won from Darrand (Assam)
10 Year 1957-Mangrubabu Uike of INC won from Mandla (MP)
11 Year 1957– J Siddananjappa H of INC won from Hassan (Madras)
12 Year 1957-T Ganapathy of INC won from Tiruchendur (Madras)
13 Year 1962– TT Krishnamachari of INC won from Tiruchendur (Madras)
14 Year 1962– Harekrushna Mahtab of INC won from Angul (Odisha)
15 Year 1962-Mahendra Shah of INC won from Tehri Garhwal (UP)
16 Year 1967– KL Rao of INC won from Vijayawada (AP)
17 Year 1967– R Brahma of INC won from Kokrajahr (Assam)
18 Year 1967– MS Quereshi of INC won from Anantnag (J&K)
19 Year 1967– KaBakula of INC won from Ladakh (J&K)
20 Year 1967– Chubatoshi of Nagaland National Organisation (NNO) won from Nagaland
21 Year 1971– Padmanatha Mohd Sayeed of INC won from LM and A Islands
22 Year 1977- Rinchin Khandu Khimre of INC won from Arunachal West
23 Year 1977 Chatra Bahadur Chhetri of INC won from Sikkim
24 Year 1980 Farooq Abdullah of JK National Congress (JKN) won from Srinagar (J&K)
25 Year 1989 Mohd Shafi Bhat of JKN won from Srinagar (J&K)
26 Year 2024 Mukesh Dalal of BJP from Surat (Gujarat).
The above mentioned list contains the names of the winners who were elected unopposed in main general elections, there are few others also who have won unopposed in by polls. From the list you can see that maximum leaders who have won Lok Sabha elections unopposed are from Congress. The details of why they won unopposed are not available, there could have been murder of democracy that time also during the reign of Congress Party.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
23rd April 2024