The nomination papers of Nilesh Kumbhani, the Congress candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha seat, were rejected on Sunday following claims by three proposers that the signatures on the affidavits were not theirs. Similarly, the nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated, resulting in the exclusion of Gujarat's principal opposition party from the city's election fray.
In the order issued by Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi, it was stated that the nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected due to prima facie discrepancies found in the signatures of the proposers, which appeared to be not genuine. Therefore, Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected.
The proposers, through their affidavits, declared that they had not signed the forms themselves, as per Pardhi's order. Confirming the development, Congress party lawyer Babu Mangukiya stated, "The nomination forms of Dinesh Kumbhani and Suresh Padsala were rejected after four proposers stated that the signatures on the forms were not theirs." Mangukiya further mentioned that the next step would be to approach the High Court and Supreme Court.