After Proposers, Congress' Surat Nominee Goes Missing As BJP Registers First Lok Sabha Victory; Complete Timeline Here

Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, who was contesting the Lok Sabha seat in Surat, Gujarat, has reportedly gone missing. This development comes after his nomination was rejected due to alleged discrepancies.

According to a report from NDTV, Kumbhani cannot be reached over the phone and is missing from his residence. The BJP's Mukesh Dalal was subsequently declared the winner from Surat after all other candidates withdrew from the contest.

There are speculations that Kumbhani might join the BJP, prompting Congress workers to protest outside his locked house with posters labeling him as a "janata ka gaddar" (people's traitor).

The BJP's victory in Surat marks its first Lok Sabha win, achieved without facing any opposition.

Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil hailed the victory, stating that Surat has given "the first lotus" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He congratulated Mukesh Dalal, the BJP candidate, for being elected unopposed.

Following these developments, the Congress has raised concerns with the Election Commission, alleging that the ruling BJP in Gujarat exerted "wrong and undue influence" in the election process. The party has demanded a restart of the poll process in Surat.

According to Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, Kumbhani's nomination was supported by four proposers, but they later denied their signatures.

Singhvi claimed that this was a coordinated effort, as shortly after Kumbhani went missing, all other candidates withdrew their candidatures, and his nomination was rejected by the returning officer.

The timeline of events in Surat is as follows:

On 18 April, Nilesh Kumbhani filed his nomination for the Surat Lok Sabha seat.

The next day, BJP worker Dinesh Jodhani objected to Kumbhani's nomination, alleging that the signatures of his proposers were fake.

On 20 April, polling officials received affidavits from the proposers stating that the signatures on Kumbhani's nomination were not theirs. The district election officer sought Kumbhani's reply within a day.

Subsequently, on 21 April, Kumbhani's nomination was cancelled by the District Election Officer after he and his proposers failed to appear to support his nomination form.

Despite efforts, the proposers, including two close relatives of Kumbhani, could not be reached over the phone.

Finally, on 22 April, the last day for withdrawing nominations, eight candidates, including the Bahujan Samaj Party pick and independents, withdrew their nominations, leading to Mukesh Dalal's declaration as the winner.