AAP’S Surat candidate backs out amid ‘abduction’ furore
The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) candidate for Gujarat’s Surat (East) constituency withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday amid allegations by the party that the leader was abducted by political rivals -- a charge rejected by the leader later in the day.
AAP’S Gujarat chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) abducted Kanchan Jariwala on the night of November 14 and that the leader was missing along with his family members. But Jariwala later said the allegations were not true, and that he was withdrawing of his own accord.
“After I filed the nomination, people from my constituency were unhappy saying that I am contesting on a ticket given by the anti-national party. I was not kidnapped, but went to my relatives place with my family. Even the booth workers were asking for huge amount of money for the election management. I was in mental stress and so decided to quit,” Jariwala said.
The BJP contended it had nothing to do with the episode.
The AAP also approached the Election Commission with a four-member team led by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and demanded that the poll for the seat be countermanded.
An EC official said that the complaint was forwarded to the chief electoral officer of Gujarat for further inquiry.“let them first file a complaint if their candidate or their family members are missing. The investigating authority will find out the truth,” said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity.
The withdrawal means that the AAP will not be contesting the Surat (East) seat as the last date for filing nominations was November 14.
The constituency goes to the polls, along with 88 other others, in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections on December 1.
The AAP is looking to make inroads into the state in its maiden electoral outing in the state, considered a stronghold of the BJP, which is pushing for its seventh straight assembly election victory.
Surat (East) was considered an important seat for the AAP because the party did well in the municipal elections last year.
The drama began when Kejriwal alleged that Jariwala had gone missing with his family members.
“Our candidate from Surat (East), Kanchan Jariwala, and his family missing since yesterday. First, BJP tried to get his nomination rejected. But his nomination was accepted. Later, he was being pressurised to withdraw his nomination. Has he been kidnapped?” Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. But Jariwala denied this later in the day and showed up along with his supporters.
The BJP blamed the AAP. Niranjan Zanzmera, BJP’S Surat unit president said, “It is their (AAP) problem and the BJP has nothing to do with the entire episode. We are nowhere involved in pressurising Jariwala.”
Aslam Cyclewala, the Congress candidate, said Jariwala posed a serious threat to the winning prospects of sitting MLA Arvind Rana.
“BJP was chasing Jariwala and finally they were successful in getting him to withdraw,” he said. Rana rejected the charges.
“It is an independent decision of the AAP candidate to withdraw.”
After I filed the nomination, people from my constituency were unhappy saying that I am contesting on a ticket given by the anti-national party. KANCHAN JARIWALA, AAP candidate for Gujarat’s Surat (East)