Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In an unusual development ahead of Gujarat’s local body polls, a single candidate has filed nomination papers from three major parties — BJP, Congress and AAP – for the same seat, triggering confusion over his official affiliation.
Bharat Singh Vakhla filed his first nomination as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate on April 10, and followed it up on April 11 with separate nominations as a Congress and BJP nominee for the Pipero seat in the Dahod District Panchayat. This is being seen as a rare, possibly unprecedented instance in the state’s electoral history.
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A total of 11 candidates have filed nominations for the seat, including multiple candidates from the BJP and Congress, as well as independents. While the BJP’s Dahod district chief Snehal Dharia has claimed Vakhla is the party’s official candidate, the latter has not clarified which party he will ultimately represent.
Vakhla has previously contested elections from both AAP and Congress, including the 2022 Assembly polls and the 2017 election, losing on both occasions. When contacted, he declined to clarify his position, saying the situation would become clear soon.
Scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for April 13, while April 15 is the last date for withdrawal. Election rules require a candidate to withdraw multiple nominations and retain only one, meaning Vakhla’s final party affiliation — and election symbol — will become clear only after the withdrawal deadline.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
