Congress Surat candidate Nilesh Kumbhani 'missing'
Congress leader Nilesh Kumbhani, whose Lok Sabha candidacy for the Surat seat in Gujarat was disqualified due to alleged inconsistencies, has reportedly gone missing. Local media reports indicate that Kumbhani has been unreachable by phone since Mukesh Dalal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was declared the winner of the Surat constituency. This announcement followed the withdrawal of all other candidates from the race.
Congress workers protest outside Kumbhani's empty residence
In the wake of BJP's uncontested Lok Sabha victory in Surat, speculations about Kumbhani switching sides to the BJP sparked protests among Congress workers. They gathered outside his empty residence, holding posters that labeled him "janata ka gaddar" or "people's traitor." This started shortly after Dalal was declared the winner of the Surat constituency, marking BJP's first win in the Lok Sabha elections.
Congress demands restart of poll process
The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India, accusing the ruling BJP in Gujarat of exerting "wrong and undue influence." They have demanded a restart of the poll process. Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi stated, "We have therefore requested the Election Commission to postpone the election in Surat and redo the election shortly to send a clear message that you cannot take advantage of this kind of wrong undue influence."
Kumbhani's nomination was supported by four individuals: Singhvi
Kumbhani is a 44-year-old Leuva Patel leader who gained prominence during the Patidar reservation agitation. He had previously secured a municipal election victory before being selected by the Congress for a Lok Sabha ticket. Singhvi alleged that Kumbhani's nomination was supported by four people who later disavowed their signatures, stating "This is no coincidence. The candidate is missing for many hours and by the time he resurfaces we find that every other candidate has withdrawn his candidature."
Kumbhani's nomination rejected due to inconsistencies in proposers' signatures
According to reports, Kumbhani, a native of Amreli district, built his wealth in Surat through real estate and land brokerage. The Congress selected him as their Lok Sabha candidate due to his financial stability and popularity within the Patidar community, which comprises over 650,000 voters in the Surat constituency. However, his nomination was rejected due to inconsistencies found in the signatures of all four proposers on his three nomination forms for the Surat Lok Sabha seat.
