Congress Suspends Surat Candidate Amid Nomination Controversy

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress has taken disciplinary action against Nilesh Kumbhani, the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Surat, suspending him for six years. This decision comes after Kumbhani’s nomination form was rejected by the returning officer, resulting in the uncontested election of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mukesh Dalal.

In the suspension order signed by Balubhai Patel, a member of the disciplinary committee, it was stated, “The rejection of your nomination form indicates either extreme negligence or affiliations with the BJP. Despite being given ample opportunity to present your case, your sudden disappearance without explanation has led to the decision to suspend you for six years.”

The Congress disciplinary committee expressed disappointment that Kumbhani, who was given the party ticket with the expectation of representing the Patidar community members from Saurashtra in Surat, failed to uphold the party’s trust.

“The people of Surat and party workers are deeply upset by your actions, and their dissatisfaction has been expressed in various forms. Consequently, the Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years,” stated a release by the Congress unit.

Kumbhani, a former Surat corporator who previously contested unsuccessfully in the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej, saw his nomination form rejected on April 21 after his proposers disavowed the signatures on the document.

Similarly, the nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress’ substitute candidate from Surat, faced invalidation on similar grounds.

Following the rejection of the Congress candidates’ forms, the BJP convinced the remaining eight candidates to withdraw their nominations, leading to Balubhai Patel’s uncontested election.

In response to these developments, Kumbhani refuted claims of disappearing, asserting his continuous communication with senior Congress leaders. He clarified, “I was on my way to Ahmedabad to challenge the cancellation of my nomination when certain leaders instigated protests at my residence.”

Moreover, Kumbhani alleged a lack of support from Congress leaders in his campaign efforts and accused some protesting leaders of colluding with the BJP. Despite these challenges, he reiterated his loyalty to the Congress and pledged not to make statements against the party.

The returning officer, Sourabh Pardhi, explained that the rejection of Kumbhani and Padsala’s nomination forms was due to prima facie discrepancies in the signatures of the proposers, which appeared to be counterfeit.

Responding to the situation, Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas emphasized that this was an internal matter of the Congress and dismissed attempts to involve the BJP. He remarked, “When the Congress fails to manage their affairs, they resort to baseless blame games against us. This shows their lack of competitive spirit in elections and their acceptance of defeat.”