Indian cricket's "Superfan" Charulata Patel no more, BCCI offers condolences
New Delhi: Charulata Patel, the octogenarian "Superfan" of the Indian cricket team whose exuberant support prompted skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma to seek her blessings during the World Cup in England, has died due to age-related ailments.
Patel, 87, passed away on Monday, a post on her official Instagram page, 'Cricket Daadi', stated.
"With a heavy heart, I inform you that our beautiful grandmother took her last breath on January 13th at 5:30 pm," the post read. "She was such a cute little lady, it is true that small things come in small packages. Our dadi was a pleasure, it was / is really exceptional. It was our world. I want to thank you all for making you feel special last year. She loved the attention."
The BCCI took to twitter to offer condolences.
"#TeamIndia's Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us. May her soul rest in peace," it posted.
The wheelchair-bound Patel came to limelight when she was seen cheering for India by blowing a vuvuzela during a World Cup game against Bangladesh on July 2 last year in Birmingham.
Her enthusiasm prompted Kohli and Sharma to personally thank Patel. They showed their gratitude by seeking her blessings after India's win.
#TeamIndia's Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us.
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 16, 2020
May her soul rest in peace pic.twitter.com/WUTQPWCpJR
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
