One NCP, two Nitish-led JD(U) candidates rejected

The Election Commission of India (ECI) rejected the nominations of four candidates, including one Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee from Vadodara City constituency and two of Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) in Kheda district, during the scrutiny of forms for the second phase of polls on Tuesday.

Vadodara election officials said that NCP candidate Prabhu Solanki failed to produce a valid caste certificate as the seat is reserved for the Scheduled Caste. Solanki, who hails from Maharashtra, had attached a caste certificate, issued by his home state, along with his nomination form on Monday, the last day for filing nominations for the second phase. It was, however, not as per the ECI requirements and hence rejected by the district election officials. The election officials had asked him to bring an attested copy from a mamlatdar or a local body.

Besides the nominee of the NCP, which is going solo in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, Independent candidate from city’s Raopura constituency, Rahul Vyas, was also rejected due to discrepancy in his affidavit.

In Kheda district, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) suffered two losses as the party’s candidates in Nadiad and Mehmedabad were disqualified. Mukhar Ahmed Mir from Mehmedabad Assembly and Saiyad Taufik Ali from Nadiad were disqualified on Tuesday for not being able to produce the requisite proposals from 10 local voters.