Congress candidate in Surat 'missing', likely to join BJP as Cong workers stage protest in front of his house

SURAT: Dramatic events continue in Gujarat's Surat where the BJP candidate was elected unopposed. Congress sources inform that Nilesh Kumbhani, who was the Congress candidate, is missing after his nomination papers were rejected due to discrepancies. All the three voters who signed Nilesh's nomination papers gave an affidavit to the Returning Officer that the signatures were not theirs. With this, the papers of Congress candidate and substitute candidate Suresh Padsala were rejected.

A total of eight candidates filed their papers in Surat. Nilesh Kumbhani's signature on the document was that of a partner in the business of his brother-in-law and nephew. All three said that the signature was not theirs. After this, the Congress sources called Nilesh on the phone, but he did not pick up. The dramatic events unfolded when the party was about to approach the High Court on the matter. Congress workers protested in front of Nilesh's house calling him a traitor and killer of democracy. Surat has been a BJP-held constituency since 1989.

Seven candidates, including four independents and a BSP candidate, withdrew their papers at 2 pm on Monday. Following this, the electoral officer declared BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal as the winner.