In a setback to the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance, the NCP candidate from Devgarh Baria in Dahod district, Gopal Lavre, withdrew his nomination on Monday, leaving candidates from the BJP, AAP and Praja Vijay Paksh and an independent in the race. The Congress party, which tied up with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls, had not fielded a candidate from the seat. On Monday, Lavre withdrew his nomination, which according to the Congress leaders, was “unexpected”. Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi told this newspaper that the NCP had “broken the trust” of the Congress but blamed Bachu Khabad, BJP candidate from the seat, for orchestrating the withdrawal. Doshi said, “We had trusted NCP with this seat to respect the alliance and had actually taken away the opportunity from our own leaders in Devgarh Baria to offer the seat to the NCP. At a time when we are fighting for each seat, this withdrawal is a jolt. We have sought an explanation from the NCP. We will also submit a report about this to the party high command seeking further guidance.” Blaming Khabad for “threatening” the candidate, Doshi said, “Khabad, has a history of issuing threats and such acts. It is certain that he has orchestrated the withdrawal of this candidature. It shows how BJP, across the state, is rattled and trying to have contestants withdraw by using force.” Doshi said that the Congress had trusted the NCP “a bit too much”, especially after facing controversy over the cross-voting by then MLA Kandhal Jadeja in 2017 during Late leader Ahmed Patel’s Rajya Sabha elections. “We trusted them a bit too much and did not keep a watch on this candidate. We regret this decision now,”Doshi said. Lavre and NCP president of Gujarat Jayant Patel alias Boskey were unavailable for comment.
