Surat Congress leader Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination as Lok Sabha candidate was rejected due to alleged discrepancies, is missing and cannot be reached on phone, local media reported today. This comes a day after BJP's Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner from the BJP stronghold after all rival candidates withdrew from the contest.
Amid reports claiming that Mr Kumbhani might join the BJP, Congress workers protested outside his locked house with posters reading “janata ka gaddar (traitor to the people)”.
The dramatic events follow the BJP's first Lok Sabha victory in Surat unopposed. Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil yesterday said that Surat has presented “the first lotus” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I congratulate our candidate for Surat Lok Sabha seat Mukesh Dalal for being elected unopposed,” he said in a post on X.
The Congress has approached the Election Commission alleging that the ruling BJP in Gujarat was exerting “wrong and undue influence” and demanding a restart of the election process.
“We have therefore requested the Election Commission to postpone the elections in Surat and reorganize the elections, to send a clear message that you cannot benefit from this kind of wrong, undue influence,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters after meeting with election commissioners yesterday. .
Mr Singhvi alleged that Congress candidate Kumbhani was nominated by four petitioners in Surat, “but suddenly all four stood up and denied their signatures”.
“This is not a coincidence. The candidate is missing for hours and by the time he resurfaces, we see that all other candidates have withdrawn his candidature, all of them. His candidature is rejected by the returning officer,” he said.
What Happened in Surat: A Timeline
April 18: Congress candidate files Nilesh Kumbhani nomination for Surat Lok Sabha seat
April 19: BJP worker Dinesh Jodhani objects to Mr Kumbhani's appointment, claiming that the signatures of his petitioners are forged.
April 20: Polling officials say they have received affidavits from the petitioners claiming that the signatures on Kumbhani's nomination are not theirs. The district election officer wants a response from Mr Kumbhani within a day.
April 21: The Congress candidate's nomination is canceled by the District Election Officer (DEO) after he and his petitioners failed to show up to support his nomination form. The proposers of the proposal, including two close relatives of the candidate chosen by Congress, could not be reached by telephone.
April 22: On the last day of withdrawal of nomination, eight candidates, including the BSP Pick and Independents, withdraw their nominations. Mukesh Dalal of BJP is declared the winner.