The candidature of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani from Surat Lok Sabha seat is in danger of being invalidated after his three proposers claimed in an affidavit submitted to the district election officer (DEO) on Saturday that they had not signed his nomination form. DEO Sourabh Pardhi on Saturday sought clarification on the issue from Kumbhani and granted him time till 11 am on Sunday before deciding the future course of action on his nomination form. Incidentally, the sole proposer for Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, has also denied that he signed on the nomination form, prompting senior Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil to allege it was the handiwork of the ruling BJP to push the Opposition party out of the poll fray. Kumbhani had on April 18 filed his nomination form. His form was signed by three proposers – Jagdish Savaliya, Dhruvin Dhamelia and Ramesh Polra. Padsala also filed nomination the same day and his proposer was Vishal Koladiya. During scrutiny of nomination forms on Saturday, Savaliya, Dhamelia and Polra turned up at election office before Pardhi – who is also the Surat district collector – claiming that their signatures were forged on Kumbhani's nomination form. They also submitted an affidavit in this regard. Koladiya also arrived at the election office and claimed that his signature on Padsala's nomination form was forged. Following this, Pardhi issued notices to both Kumbhani and Padsala, asking them to remain present at the election office at 1 pm on Saturday. Kumbhani, through his advocate Zamir Shaikh, submitted an application to Pardhi seeking time till Sunday before a final order is passed. Pardhi then granted the Congress leaders time till 11 am on Sunday. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumbhani said, “While Jagdish Savaliya is my brother-in-law, Dhruvin Dhamelia is my nephew and Ramesh Polra is my business partner. I tried to contact them on the phone and even sent a few men to look for them but they are untraceable. They have either gone underground or have been kidnapped.” Maintaining that a complaint has been filed with the Surat Police commissioner, he added: “BJP is using all tactics to get my nomination cancelled. All the three proposers are close to me, how can I forge their signatures? It is impossible and they have signed the forms in front of me. Vishal Koladiya's proposer is also missing and his phone is switched off. We want the signatures of the proposers be verified by a competent firm.” When contacted, Pardhi said, “All the three proposers of Nilesh Kumbhani and one of the proposer of his dummy candidate came to the election office and submitted affidavits saying that their signatures have been forged. The Congress candidates sought time and we have given them time till Sunday 11 am.” The BJP, meanwhile, filed an application with Pardhi seeking that Kumbhani and Padsala's nominations be cancelled. Maintaining that Congress took all care to ensure there was no fault in the nomination forms, Gohil said: "Despite this, the BJP raised objections in 14 places to get them invalidated. In Surat, the BJP felt Congress will win so they used police to put pressure on the proposers to file affidavits about not having signed on the forms.” "All four proposers have made similar claims. It clearly shows the BJP has tainted democracy and used illegal and undemocratic means to remove Congress from the fray," he added. The Congress' legal team will take the matter to the High Court and Supreme Court, Gohil said, adding that the “people of Gujarat will reject such moves of the BJP”. State Congress spokeperson Manish Doshi said, "The BJP is using all tactics to get the nomination forms of Congress candidates rejected. It has set up a team to be used for kidnapping, luring candidates and creating political pressure."
