Gujarat Election 2022: 'Ran 10-15 km to save my life...' claims Congress candidate who went missing

Danta is a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe communities, and both Kanti Kharadi of the Congress and Ladhubhai Parghi of the BJP are contesting for it. Kharadi claimed he saved his life from 'BJP goons' by running 15 kilometres in the middle of the night.  

The Congress sitting MLA and the party candidate for the Scheduled Tribes reserved Danta constituency in the Banaskantha district of north Gujarat, Kanti Kharadi, has claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ladhu Parghi assaulted him. 

Kharadi claims that when he went to campaign in his area, he was attacked by a rival candidate and his followers and had to escape into the jungle to save his life.

While talking to the media, he said, "Whatever happened was unfortunate. I was heading to my neighbourhood because there was an election. I sensed the atmosphere was heated there, and following the same, I decided to leave."

"While returning, some vehicles followed us. Latu Parghi, a BJP candidate from Danta, and two others arrived armed with swords. We decided to escape; we ran for 10-15 kilometres and spent two hours in the woods," he continued. 

On Monday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted and claimed, "Congress tribal leader and Danta Assembly candidate, Kantibhai Kharadi, was brutally beaten by BJP goons and is now missing."

He added that the party had requested the Election Commission to deploy the paramilitary group but that the election body was 'sleeping.'

'BJP must listen,' the former Congress president continued, 'we are not scared, we will not be terrified, we will fight strongly.'

Danta is a seat reserved for communities of Scheduled Tribes. BJP has fielded Latubhai Parghi against Kanti Kharadi. The voting for the seat is currently underway, along with 92 other state constituencies in the second and final phase.