Mirza Ghulam Ahmad writes:

إِنَّ الْـمُـرَادَ مِـنْ دَابَّـةِ الْأَرْضِ عُـلَـمَـاءُ الـسُّـوءِ الَّـذِيـنَ يَـشْـهَـدُونَ بِـأَقْـوَالِـهِـمْ أَنَّ الـرَّسُـولَ حَـقٌّ وَالْـقُـرْآنَ حَـقٌّ ثُـمَّ يَـعْـمَـلُـونَ الْـخَـبَـائِـثَ وَيَـخْـدُمُـونَ الـدَّجَّـالَ

,,By the creature from the earth (27:82) is meant the unwholesome scholars who, while testifying with their words that the Messenger is in the right and that the Qur’an is in the right, do evil hereupon and serve the deceiver (Dajjal).” [Hamamat-ul-Bushra, page 179]

حَـتَّـى أَنَّ بَـعْـضَ الـصَّـحَـابَـةِ زَعَـمُـوا أَنَّ دَابَّـةَ الْأَرضِ عَـلِـيٌّ رَضِـيَ الـلَّـهُ عَـنْـهُ

,,Even some companions claimed, that the living creature from the earth (27:82) is Ali, may God have His pleasure on him.” [Hamamat-ul-Bushra, page 177]

حَـتَّـى إِنَّ أَكْـثَـرَ الـصَّـحَـابَـةِ ظَـنُّـوا أَنَّـهُ إِنْـسَـانٌ فَـقَـطْ وَلِأَجْـلِ ذَلِـكَ حَـسِـبُـوا أَنَّ عَـلَـيًّـا هُـوَ دَابَّـةُ الْأَرْضِ

,,Even the majority of the companions assumed that it is merely a human being and that is why they thought that Ali is the living creature from the earth (27:82).” [Hamamat-ul-Bushra, page 179]

Comment:

Yes, on page 177 the author claims that Ali (a.) denied this. In this case, one companion would be right while the majority of them are wrong.