Gujarat polls: AAP claims BJP kidnapped, forced its candidate to withdraw nomination

AHMEDABAD: The AAP on Wednesday alleged that its Surat East Assembly seat candidate in Gujarat was kidnapped by the BJP and forced to withdraw his nomination for the next month's Assembly polls, but the contestant in question claimed he pulled out of the race on his own due to "stress" after his party "demanded money for booth management".

The candidate, Kanchan Jariwala, also maintained that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not kidnap him and he withdrew from the election by listening to his "conscience" as the people of his constituency labelled him "anti-national" and "anti-Gujarat" for contesting the election on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket.

The AAP, earlier in the day, alleged that Jariwala was abducted at the behest of the BJP, which "feared" a defeat on the seat in the Gujarat assembly election.

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed that Jariwala was forced to withdraw his nomination when he went to the returning officer's office on Wednesday.

In the evening, a four-member delegation of AAP led by Sisodia met the Election Commission officials in Delhi and handed over a representation, based on which the poll watchdog asked the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to inquire and take action "as warranted" into the allegations.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi earlier in the day, Sisodia said Jariwala had been missing along with his family members since Tuesday, adding that the last time the candidate was seen was at the Election Commission's office in Surat for scrutiny of his nomination papers.

"In this election, the BJP is miserably losing in Gujarat and has become so rattled that it has stooped to the level of kidnapping our candidate from Surat East," he said.

"Fearing defeat, the BJP goons have kidnapped the AAP candidate from Surat, Kanchan Jariwala," he added.

Sisodia alleged that the BJP "goons" also tried to get Jariwala's nomination cancelled, but the returning officer could not do so as there was no lacuna in his papers.

"This is not just kidnapping of our candidate, but kidnapping of democracy. This is a very dangerous situation in Gujarat," Sisodia said.

Sisodia and other party leaders also held a protest outside the EC office in the national capital over the alleged abduction.

AAP's Gujarat unit president Gopal Italia claimed that Jariwala appeared before the office of the returning officer on Wednesday under heavy police protection and surrounded by "BJP goons" to withdraw his candidature under the pressure of the ruling party.

Italia alleged that Jariwala had gone missing and was allegedly taken to an undisclosed location by the BJP goons, who put pressure on him to stay away from the election.

Surat city BJP president Niranjan Zanzmera refuted the allegations and said the AAP should instead "take care of its own house."

The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Arvind Rana from the seat.

Talking to reporters in the evening, Jariwala denied being kidnapped by the BJP and claimed that he was under stress after the AAP demanded money for "booth management". He also said he had switched off his mobile phone for two days for "introspection".

"I was under stress after being labelled as anti-national and anti-Gujarat by people. Another reason for being under stress was that the party (AAP) and its workers were demanding money for booth management after I filed the nomination. I am not capable for paying so much money," he said.

In a video statement issued earlier, Jariwala said he withdrew his nomination without any pressure and by listening to his conscience after the people of his constituency labelled him "anti-national" and "anti-Gujarat" for contesting the election as an AAP candidate, and threatened not to support him.

"During campaigning, people repeatedly said I was anti-national and anti-Gujarat and that they will not support me for the party from which I have filed my candidature. Getting such negative feedback from the public, my conscience cried," he said in the video statement.

"I listened to my conscience and made up my mind not to contest the election from such an anti-national and anti-Gujarat party and withdrew my nomination without any pressure," he added.

Meanwhile, the AAP wrote to the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi on the issue and requested her to inquire into the entire incident and take appropriate action.

In the letter to the Gujarat CEO, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha accused the BJP of trying to get his nomination rejected initially, which did not work as the returning officer accepted the nomination.

"It is not only a misuse of the police machinery but against the essence of free and fair elections," the letter said.

"BJP did not stop there and threatened him and his family for life," stated the letter.

"This is a horrific story and a blot on the election system that threatens to tear apart the democratic fabric of the country," the AAP said, requesting the CEO to take notice of the "grave situation" and direct an inquiry into the entire incident and take appropriate and strict action as per law.

"As the withdrawal process of the nomination paper of this candidate is under threat, coercion and pressure, therefore withdrawal or any such attempt may be acted upon immediately," it said.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate from the seat, Aslam Cyclewala, wrote an open letter seeking the support of the AAP to defeat the BJP.

Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.