'Congress Betrayed Me First, In 2017 My Ticket Cancelled At Last Moment': Rejected Surat Candidate Resurfaces

Suspended Congress leader Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected due to discrepancies, leading to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning the Surat Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat unopposed has resurfaced after 20 days on Saturday (11 May).

Now in a fresh twist to the incident, he has alleged that the Congress party had betrayed him first in 2017, as per a report by NDTV.

"Congress leaders are accusing me of betrayal. However, it was the Congress which betrayed me first in the 2017 assembly elections when my ticket for the Kamrej Assembly seat in Surat was cancelled at the last moment. The first mistake was made by the Congress, not me," Nilesh Kumbhani told reporters.

"I did not want to do this, but my supporters, office staff, and workers were upset because the party is being run by five self-proclaimed leaders in Surat who neither work nor allow others to work. Though AAP and Congress are part of the INDIA alliance, these leaders raised objections when I campaigned with AAP leaders here," he claimed.

When asked if the turn of events in the ongoing Lok Sabha poll was his revenge on the Congress, Nilesh Kumbhani refused to give a direct reply and reiterated his charge about the cancellation of his ticket in the 2017 state polls.

On 21 April, Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming they had not signed the document.

Coincidentally, the nomination form of the Congress' substitute candidate Suresh Padsala was also rejected, ending the party's presence in the fray.

On 22 April, BJP's Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed from Surat after all other candidates, including one from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), withdrew their nominations.

Nilesh Kumbhani had been out of communication since 22 April. He was later suspended by the Congress, which blamed him for the rejection of the nomination form and also accused him of "connivance with the BJP".

Lok Sabha polls were held in a single phase in Gujarat on 7 May. Results for 25 out of the state's 26 seats will be declared on 4 June.