How Surat was won: BJP member says attested affidavits disowning Congress form signatures

Ghoghari said he took a fee of Rs 2,500 for each affidavit though his regular fee is Rs 500.

Kumbhani, the Congress candidate, had submitted signatures of his brother-in-law Jagdish Savaliya, nephew Dhruvin Dhamelia and business partner Ramesh Polra as his proposers when he filed his nomination on April 18.

The BJP candidate’s agent Dinesh Jodhani raised an objection before the election officer over the signatures of the three proposers of Kumbhani and proposer Bhautik Koladiya of Padsala, saying the signatures had been forged.

Saurabh Parghi, District Election Officer and Collector of Surat, held a special hearing Sunday on Kumbhani and Padsala’s nomination papers. He upheld the BJP’s objection and rejected the Congress nomination.

The proposers who, according to a complaint by Kumbhani were missing Sunday when his case was being heard, appeared before the Surat Crime Branch the same day and told police that they had not been kidnapped. Their statements to police have been sent to Parghi.

None of the four proposers could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Parghi told The Indian Express, “The presence of a proposer with the candidate is not mandatory while filing the nomination form. If an objection is raised by an opponent party on the issue of proposer, then the proposer has to remain present. The nomination forms are accepted on the basis of the signature of the proposer. If the proposer is illiterate or cannot sign, his thumb impression is required on the nomination form and it should be done in the presence of the Returning Officer.”

Express cartoon by E P Unny

“In the Surat Lok Sabha seat issue, Dinesh Jodhani, election agent of the BJP candidate, raised objection over the signatures of the proposers of Congress candidate Kumbhani and his dummy candidate Padsala. All three proposers of Kumbhani and proposer of Padsala remained present before us in the presence of Congress candidate election agent, and they said on camera that they did not sign as proposers on the nomination form of Kumbhani and Padsala. We also accepted the affidavit given by them the same day. After this, we informed the Congress candidate about this and told him to remain present at 4 pm at the election branch office and send an explanation,” he said.

“Kumbhani and his dummy candidate came with their legal team and we showed them the discrepancies in the signatures of proposers in both nomination forms. They sought time and we gave them time until 11 am Sunday morning. The Congress candidate and his dummy candidate did not give satisfactory answers over discrepancies in the signatures, so we rejected their nomination forms,” he said.

“Kumbhani had also given an application saying the proposers had been missing or kidnapped. We got a written document from the Surat Crime Branch stating that all four proposers of Kumbhani and his dummy candidate had turned up at the police station and said they had not been kidnapped. Police also handed us a copy of the statements of all four proposers,” Parghi said.

Meanwhile, a photograph of Abdul Hamid Khan of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Party – he was one of the eight who withdrew from the contest to pave the way for Dalal’s election as unopposed – with Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil did the rounds of social media Tuesday.

Khan (52), who takes up contracts for interior workers in apartments, said, “This was the first time I was contesting an election. I hail from Lucknow and have been living in Surat with my family for the last 30 years… party president Rajubhai Punjabi told me to contest the election and I filed the nomination form. On Monday, I withdrew my form because I no longer wanted to contest. Nobody pressured me and I withdrew on my own.”

Asked about his photograph with Paatil, Khan said it was taken Monday “after I had withdrawn from the contest”.

“My friends who were his (Paatil’s) friends took me to him and because he is a big leader, I also stood with them for a photograph. There is no offence in taking a photo with any political leader,” he said.