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AAP's ‘missing’ Gujarat candidate withdraws nomination from Surat East seat
AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha alleged that police and “BJP gooons” dragged Jariwala to the RO office, forcing him to withdraw his nomination.
Aam Aadmi Party's candidate from Surat (East) withdrew his nomination for the upcoming Gujarat assembly election amid abduction claims by top AAP leaders. In a video shared by AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadhav, Surat (East) candidate Kanchan Jariwala, surrounded by unidentified persons and some police personnel, can be seen entering RO office to withdraw his nomination.
“Watch how police and BJP goons together - dragged our Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala to the RO office, forcing him to withdraw his nomination,” Chadha said in a tweet. “The term ‘free and fair election’ has become a joke!”
At a press briefing earlier today, Chadha had 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."
While Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and other top AAP leaders doubled down on the abduction claim, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused BJP of pressurising Jariwala to take back his nomination without blaming the saffron party for alleged abduction.
“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?”
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.”
(With bureau inputs)
