BJP’s Kirit Patel accused of hiding car ownership in bypoll affidavit

BJP candidate from Visavadar, Kirit Balubhai Patel, is facing allegations of concealing ownership of a luxury vehicle in his election affidavit—a development that has drawn heightened scrutiny after he shared the stage with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at a recent high-profile event.

On Monday, Kirit Patel appeared alongside the Chief Minister at a government function where forest land was reportedly converted into revenue land. The next day, he filed his nomination papers for the Visavadar Assembly bypoll, declaring under oath that he owns no vehicles.

However, official records from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) show that a Toyota Fortuner (registration number GJ-18-BG-1602), purchased on May 1, 2017, is still registered in Patel’s name. The mobile number linked to the registration also matches his. Notably, Patel had declared the same vehicle in his 2017 affidavit but failed to do so this time—an omission that may violate Election Commission norms.

The bypolls in Gujarat’s Visavadar and Kadi Assembly constituencies are scheduled for June 19. The Visavadar seat fell vacant after AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned in December 2023 and later joined the BJP. The last day for filing nominations was June 2, with scrutiny held on June 3 and the deadline for withdrawal set for June 5. Voting will take place on June 19, and results will be declared on June 23.

Despite objections during scrutiny, Patel's nomination was accepted. On June 3, at the inauguration of a BJP office in Bhesan, Patel addressed the issue publicly, saying: “During my two terms as district president, two Lok Sabha elections, two assembly elections, and multiple local body polls, not a single candidate’s form was rejected. I take extreme care with paperwork and would not make such a mistake on my own form.”

However, despite such claims, it has now come to light that Kirit Patel made a serious error by not disclosing the car in his form. 

The omission has raised concerns over selective enforcement. Critics have questioned whether the Election Commission would have responded more firmly had the candidate belonged to a non-ruling party.

As of now, the Election Commission has not issued a formal response or indicated whether any action will be taken.