AAP's 'kidnapped' candidate resurfaces, withdraws candidature

Surat/New Delhi: Hours after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders created a hullabaloo accusing the BJP of "kidnapping" him, party's Surat East candidate Kanchanbhai Zariwala, on Wednesday, resurfaced before the returning officer seeking withdrawal of his candidature. Since this morning, AAP seniors leaders like Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh had been charging the BJP with kidnapping Kanchanbhai as it feared defeat in the next month's Assembly polls. Amid these allegations, under heavy police protection Kanchanbhai Jariwala appeared before the returning officer R B Bhogayata this morning. Returning officer has confirmed to media that Kanchanbhai has withdrawn his candidature from Surat East. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sagar Bagmar denied receiving any complaint of kidnapping. He also confirmed that the candidate has voluntarily withdrawn his candidature.

Jariwala said the BJP had not put any pressure on him nor did anyone kidnap him.He made it clear that he was not pressurised by the BJP to withdraw his nomination.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told the media, "The BJP is losing badly in this Assembly election and so is fuming and fretting. It has kidnapped Kanchan Jariwala".

Sisodia said that Jariwala was last seen at the RO office on Tuesday. They (BJP) tried to get his nomination rejected. Later, he was pressured to withdraw his nomination. This raises questions on the election commission also, he said. "Kanchan and his family have been missing since yesterday. He went to the office to get his nomination paper scrutinised. As soon as he came out after the scrutiny, BJP goons took him away from there. Since then his whereabouts are not known", Deputy CM claimed. Terming it "dangerous" for democracy, he said that the Election Commission is known for conducting fair elections. If a candidate has been kidnapped, how will the fair election be held", he asked. "This is not that the AAP candidate has been kidnapped but the democracy has been hijacked", he said. "I am Going to the Central Election Commission right now. In Gujarat, BJP got AAP candidate Kanchan Jariwala kidnapped from Surat East on the basis of goons and then got the nomination withdrawn on the basis of police. In such a situation, what is the point of the election then?" he had said in a tweet.