After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused rival BJP of “kidnapping” its Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala and “forcing” him to withdraw from the poll race, the Election Commission in Gujarat stated “the candidate happily withdrew his nomination form”.“When the incident was shown by the media, the Election Commission had informed the Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat and a report was also sought from the District Election Office (in Surat). The DEO sent reports containing videos from Returning Officer, General Observer and the Gujarat Police. Through this report, it has come to light that the candidate had come to the office of the Returning Officer and had happily withdrawn his (nomination) form. His withdrawal has been accepted. Currently, he is not in the poll race,” said Kuldeep Arya, additional chief electoral officer, in response to a question during a media interaction if the Returning Officer in Surat had mentioned the “kidnapping” aspect in his report submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat.Asked if any political party had lodged a complaint with regard to the incident, P Bharathi, chief electoral officer, Gujarat, said, “We had received a complaint from Aam Aadmi (Party). The Election Commission had also sought a report and so we, in turn, had sought a report from DEO.”Watch how police and BJP goons together – dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO office, forcing him to withdraw his nominationThe term ‘free and fair election’ has become a joke! pic.twitter.com/CY32TrUZx8— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) November 16, 2022After withdrawing his nomination forms, AAP candidate Jariwala had said that he had voluntarily withdrawn due to internal conflicts with party leaders and workers.When quizzed if CEO, Gujarat had sought a report about Vadodara BJP MLA Madhu Srivastav issuing threats in public, Arya said, “A report has been sought from the district collector of Vadodara.”Talking about the seizures made while enforcing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), Bharathi said so far seizures worth Rs 177 crore have been made, including Rs 22.41 crore in cash, Rs 8.06 crore of gold and silver, Rs 61.56 crore of drugs and Rs 8.9 crore of liquor. The seizures also include Rs 76.14 crore of Chinese toys, motorcar, motorcycle, mobile phones, tobacco and pan masala.The Gujarat Police has also seized 51 illegal weapons and 274 cartridges. So far, officials said, no connection has been established between the seized cash and liquor with political parties or their candidates. Of the total cash seized, Rs 18 crore has been seized by the Income Tax officials from Kutch and another Rs 1.6 crore from Surat. The police have also seized an additional Rs 1.43 crore from Surat.
NEW DELHI: In a dramatic development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Surat (East) constituency Kanchan Jariwala on Wednesday withdrew his nomination from the forthcoming assembly election. The development has dealt a severe blow to Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP which governs Delhi and Punjab. Alleging that the ruling BJP was behind the withdrawal, AAP petitioned the Election Commission (EC) to act on their complaint. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha tweeted a video clip and alleged that the local police and BJP “goons” forced Jariwala to withdraw his nomination. “Watch how police and BJP goons together - dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO (returning officer) office, forcing him to withdraw his nomination. The term ‘free and fair election’ has become a joke!” he said. Watch how police and BJP goons together - dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO office, forci… https://t.co/lpfzxIFwni— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) 1668583076000Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, earlier accused the BJP of trying to get Jariwala’s nomination rejected. He also expressed the apprehension that the AAP candidate had been kidnapped on November 15. In a tweet, the AAP supremo said, “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?” Our candidate from Surat (East), Kanchan Jariwala, and his family missing since yesterday. First, BJP tried to get… https://t.co/7GMDCrjwrw— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) 1668576611000Led by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, a team of AAP leaders and workers demonstrated against the BJP at the Central Election Commission headquarters at Delhi. They demanded swift action in the matter. Sisodia alleged that Jariwala was kidnapped and his nomination was withdrawn at gunpoint. “What can be a bigger emergency than this for the Election Commission? That is why we have come to the door of the Central Election Commission with a request for immediate action,” he said. कैंडिडेट का अपहरण हो गया. गनपोईंट पर उसका नामांकन वापस कराया. चुनाव आयोग के लिए इससे बड़ी एमेरजेंसी क्या हो सकतो है… https://t.co/ZDlyLupxZj— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) 1668584813000Why AAP’s strong protestAmong all the seats that AAP is contesting in Gujarat, which goes to polls in two phases on December 1 and December 5, it stands the brightest chances of winning in Surat. Jariwala’s withdrawal of nomination from Surat (East) has dealt the most severe blow to the party which is aiming to wrest power from the BJP or at least replace the Congress as the principal opposition party. Contesting for the first time in the municipal elections held in eight corporations of Gujarat – Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh – in 2021, AAP performed decently in Surat and registered its presence in Gandhinagar and Rajkot. Of the 120 seats in Surat Municipal Corporation, BJP won 93 while the Congress failed to open its account. AAP, securing 28.58 per cent of the votes, won 27 seats and replaced the Congress as the opposition party. In the 2016 election, BJP had won 80 out of 116 seats while the Congress had 36. In the 44-seat Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, BJP won 41, Congress two and AAP won one seat. The Congress garnered a vote share of 27.97 per cent against 46.93 per cent in 2016. AAP grew at its expense, securing 21.7 per cent of the votes. In Rajkot Municipal Corporation, AAP secured 17 per cent of the vote share. With these results in the civic polls, AAP is expecting to damage the BJP in the urban areas. Its promises of free electricity and water and cheap healthcare facilities are aimed at wooing the urban voters. On the other hand, even though Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders may be conspicuous by their absence, the Congress is expected to display a decent performance in the rural areas. The BJP leaders are aware of this. While addressing a rally last month, Modi said the Congress leaders were holding "khatla baithaks (meetings on cots)”. "I want to warn you. The Congress has made a new strategy. They are not in newspapers and social media... The Congress's new strategy is to go village by village and fill poison amongst villagers," he said. Without naming AAP, the prime minister said the Congress had suddenly gone silent and outsourced the contract of creating fracas and abusing him to others. AAP is expected to give some kind of a fight to the BJP in urban areas, particularly in Surat. Therefore, it has suffered a major jolt with the withdrawal of nomination by its Surat (East) candidate.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday claimed that its Surat (East ) candidate, Kanchan Jariwala, is being forced to withdraw his nomination from the Gujarat Assembly elections. This came hours after the party alleged that Jariwala was kidnapped by the BJP as he and his family have been missing since Tuesday.Tweeting a video showing Jariwala surrounded by police officials and unidentified persons, AAP leader Raghav Chadha alleged, “Watch how police and BJP goons together – dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO office, forcing him to withdraw his nomination (sic).”“The term ‘free and fair election’ has become a joke!” he added.Watch how police and BJP goons together – dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO office, forcing him to withdraw his nominationThe term ‘free and fair election’ has become a joke! pic.twitter.com/CY32TrUZx8— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) November 16, 2022“He is being forced by the police and goondas to withdraw his nomination. India has not seen such goondaism. What is the meaning of elections? It’s the end of democracy,” tweeted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.गुंडों और पुलिस के दम पर उम्मीदवारों को अगवा करके उनका नामांकन वापिस करवाया जा रहा है।इस क़िस्म की सरेआम गुंडागर्दी भारत में कभी नहीं देखी गयी। फिर चुनाव का क्या मतलब रह गया? फिर तो जनतंत्र ख़त्म है। https://t.co/wff4CMihx8— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 16, 2022https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsEarlier, in his previous tweet, Kejriwal claimed that Jariwala and his family have gone missing and asked if he has been kidnapped. “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?” Kejriwal tweeted.Read this story in Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) hereOur 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?— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 16, 2022Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP has kidnapped Jariwala fearing a loss in Surat (East). “Kanchan Jariwala is missing since yesterday. His phone is switched off. His family is missing. He was last seen at the RO office yesterday, where he had gone to get his nomination scrutinised. The BJP’s goondas (thugs) tried to get his nomination withdrawn. However, Jariwala refused and when he left the RO office, the BJP goondas kidnapped him,” Sisodia said in a press conference.“This is a danger to democracy. This raises questions on the Election Commission (EC),” Sisodia added.Chadha in a previous tweet called Jariwala’s “kidnapping” a murder of democracy. “Murder of democracy! Our candidate Kanchan Jariwala from Surat East seat has been kidnapped by BJP. First BJP unsuccessfully tried to get his nomination papers rejected, then coerced him to withdraw his candidature and now kidnapped him. He is missing since last afternoon,” said Chadha.The AAP announced Jariwala’s candidature along with nine others on November 3 in its 10th list of candidates for the Gujarat polls.Jariwala is up against the BJP’s Arvind Rana, the incumbent MLA in Surat (East).The two-phase Gujarat elections are slated to be held on December 1 and December 5. The AAP has so far declared 130 candidates in 11 lists for the 182-member Assembly. The BJP, meanwhile, has declared 160 candidates in its first list.On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dismissed AAP, saying that the battle in Gujarat was between the Congress and BJP.
