After Surat Walkover, 'Missing' Congress Candidate Likely to Join BJP Amid Protest By Party Workers

Surat: After the BJP recorded its first win in 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Surat, Congress workers on Tuesday protested against the 'missing' MP candidate Nilesh Kumbhani. According to our sources, none of the senior Congress leaders have not been able to get in touch with Kumbhani. This comes a day after BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal won unopposed in the Lok Sabha constituency.

Earlier in the day, the Congress senior leadership of the Surat District had also gone to the residence of Kumbhani and had found out that the entire family was missing. They had marched into the premises of Kumbhanis' house, where they also stuck posters, protesting against Kumbhani's absence.

“We found the house to be completely empty. We went to register our protest against Kumbhani as he was supposed to go for seeking alternate remedy about going to the courts but he was not reachable since the BJP candidate won Surat unopposed. We know this as the modus operandi of the BJP in a bid to pressurise the opposition. Kumbhani has not only run away from the battle but he has also let down his fellow party members and has played a role in the downfall of democracy if he has gone to BJP," Surat Congress leader said Dinesh Savaliya, who led the protest against Kumbhani, told Republic.

Meanwhile, BJP sources have mentioned that the disappearance of Kumbhani may not be a mere coincidence but a reflection of him willing to switch camps. “We know that the Congress party has not been able to keep their flock together. They have been witnessing their own downfall for a long time now. One after the other, we see their leaders leaving them and joining us. This is because they don’t have a game plan or a strong leader. We won’t be surprised if he joins us. Of course, we are more than happy to accommodate the leaders who want to work according to the philosophies of BJP,” said a senior BJP leader at an event on Tuesday morning.