'Has he been kidnapped?': Kejriwal says AAP candidate for Gujarat polls missing

AAP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha went on to claim that Jariwala is in "custody of BJP."

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that an AAP candidate for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections along with his family has gone missing. Kejriwal said that Kanchan Jariwal was being pressurised to withdraw his nomination and has now gone missing, wondering if the AAP candidate from Surat (East) has been kidnapped.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI)

“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,” Kejriwal said in a tweet. “Has he been kidnapped?”

At a press briefing earlier today, AAP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha directly accused BJP of abducting Jariwala and taking him to an undisclosed location.

"Our candidate Kanchan Jariwala from Surat East seat has been kidnapped by BJP," Chadha said.

"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."

Gujarat chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi alleged in a tweet that “BJP is so scared of 'AAP' that it has come on hooliganism!"

Responding to the allegations, a BJP official said that AAP is desperately trying to capture limelight by making such baseless allegations. “Let them first file a complaint if their candidate or their family members are missing. The investigating authority will find out the truth. That the AAP can stoop to such low levels without any proof shows their desperation to remain relevant in this election.”

Chadha told the press briefing that AAP has informed the chief electoral officer and will be filing a formal complaint soon.

(With Bureau inputs)