AAP Raises Legal Alarm: BJP's Visavadar Candidate Under Scrutiny for Concealed Assets

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sounded the alarm over Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate Kirit Patel in Visavadar for allegedly concealing crucial information from an election affidavit, according to a press release. Pranav Thakkar, State President of AAP's Legal Cell, claims that Patel intentionally omitted paragraph 8.2 from Form 26, which obscures vital details.

An initial complaint to the Returning Officer yielded no satisfactory response, prompting AAP to escalate the matter to the Election Commission of India. Thakkar criticized election officials for allegedly succumbing to BJP pressure but affirmed that AAP is prepared to challenge this legally on all fronts, vowing to fight for fairness in the election process.

Thakkar disclosed that Patel owns a Fortuner vehicle registered under his name, not mentioned in his affidavit, violating electoral norms. Such omissions, Thakkar noted, referencing Supreme Court precedents, can disqualify candidates, even post-election. The party has lodged additional complaints both with the Election Commission and at the local level regarding these concerns.

Also under scrutiny is the reported misuse of a government vehicle during CM Bhupendra Patel's visit to Visavadar. AAP has filed complaints over the inappropriate use of the Mahindra Bolero for campaign purposes, which is against electoral regulations.

Urging the residents of Visavadar to reconsider their votes, Thakkar warned that Kirit Patel's nomination might be invalidated due to these violations, potentially leaving the area without representation. He advocated for AAP's Gopal Italia as a robust candidate. This development unfolds amid AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal's accusations that BJP is backing Congress in Punjab's upcoming bye-polls, with evidence reportedly shared by AAP Punjab's spokesperson Neel Garg.

(With inputs from agencies.)