'Missing' Cong leader Kumbhani surfaces, says he's not joining BJP

Suspended Congress leader Nilesh Kumbhani, who had gone missing after his nomination for the Surat Lok Sabha seat was rejected, resulting in the unopposed win of the BJP candidate from his constituency, has resurfaced again after 20 days.

 

Kumbhani's nomination was rejected because of discrepancies, PTI reported.

 

Accusing the Congress of "betrayal" in the 2017 Assembly when his ticket from the Kamrej assembly seat was cancelled, Kumbani told PTI that it was the "Congress which made the first mistake, not me.”

 

The Congress leaders had accused him of betraying his party.

Denying that he had run away, as his party workers were putting up posts announcing cash rewards to find him as he had gone missing, Kumbhani said he had not spoken out against anyone earlier out of respect for the party’s state president, Shaktisinh Gohil.

 

A national daily also reported that a day after he accused the Congress of betraying him, Kumbhani said he would not join the BJP as speculated and instead would focus on social work.

On being provided police protection, he said he had not asked for it and had been at home and "was not hiding."