SURAT/RAJKOT: Political temperatures soared in Gujarat after errors were pointed out in the nomination forms of two Congress
Lok Sabha election
candidates and the Bhavnagar AAP contestant on Friday.
The maximum heat was generated in Surat as the candidate's proposers claimed they had not signed his nomination papers.
A possible invalidation loomed on Surat's Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani after three proposers claimed in an affidavit that the signatures were not theirs.
Incidentally, Kumbhani's dummy candidate Suresh Padsala's proposer also submitted an affidavit claiming that he had not signed the papers.
In the case of the national party, the signature of only one supporter is required on the nomination form.
Kumbhani said his proposers Ramesh Polara, Jagdish Savaliya and Dhuvin Dhameliya were unreachable. Savaliya is the husband of Kumbhani's sister. Kumbhani submitted an application for a complaint of kidnapping of his three proposers with the Umra police station.
Kumbhani's lawyers want police to trace supporters
Surat district election officer (DEO) Sourabh Pardhi scheduled a hearing at 4pm in which Kumbhani was asked to submit his clarification. On behalf of Kumbhani, his lawyers Babu Mangukiya and Zamir Shaikh appeared and sought time.
"We requested the election officer that police should search the missing supporters and produce them before DEO. We should be allowed to question them about their statement and the signatures should be verified by experts," Mangukiya told TOI.
The DEO has given Kumbhani and Padsala time till 11am Sunday to submit their clarifications.
Kumbhani told reporters, "I will submit my clarification once I can contact the proposers who have signed my nomination."
In Bhavnagar, objections regarding income discrepancies and education were raised in the nomination papers of AAP candidate Umesh Makwana.
"There are some discrepancies pointed out in his affidavit and the candidate has sought time to clarify," said collector and DEO RK Mehta. The BJP submitted an objection alleging that Makwana's income tax returns for 2018-19 showed different incomes in the affidavits submitted in the 2022 assembly polls and 2024
Lok Sabha elections
. Another objection was that he showed on-hand cash of Rs 33.35 lakh and his wife's income of Rs 22.28 lakh, which is not in accordance with the income in the last five years. It's also alleged that he has shown himself as a director in an infrastructure company but not mentioned the income from it. A similar situation was witnessed in Amreli where BJP's legal cell lodged a complaint with the DEO alleging that Congress candidate Jeni Thummar had concealed information regarding the loan taken by her husband from the LIC and possession of a shop on Chittal Road in the affidavit. The dummy candidate Virji Thummar, her father and former MP, submitted the annexure of the sold property.
P Bharathi, CEO, Gujarat said, "There were errors in the affidavits submitted by candidates in Amreli and Bhavnagar. In Surat, there is an issue with the proposers' signatures. The respective collectors have given them adequate time to respond to the notices and the final verdict is expected by Sunday."
Meanwhile, state Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that this was the handiwork of the BJP to eliminate opposition candidates from the poll fray. Gohil said the party's legal team will take the matter up to the high court and Supreme Court.
"Fearing that Congress will win in Surat, they used police to pressure proposers to file affidavits," Gohil alleged. State BJP spokesman Yamal Vyas, said, "The Congress is so casual in every elections that they commit mistakes every time. To hide their lethargy, they are blaming the BJP. It's possible that their candidate may have committed the mistake intentionally to avoid contesting and face an embarrassing defeat
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