KOLKATA: The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) on Wednesday drew the attention of the Calcutta High Court to an affidavit filed by BJP-nominated candidate Hasirani Rath for the Nandigram Assembly constituency bypoll in Purba Medinipur, alleging discrepancies in her age and educational qualification.
A Congress leader and advocate raised the issue before Justice Krishna Rao, who asked what the party wanted. The Congress sought cancellation of Rath’s candidature, arguing that although the Election Commission of India (ECI) had scrutinised her affidavit, no action had been taken despite what it described as serious discrepancies.
The Congress sought an immediate hearing on the matter, which is scheduled to be heard on Thursday.
The development came a day after the WBPCC demanded an impartial inquiry by the ECI into Rath’s affidavit. State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar had alleged that the poll panel failed to act despite the discrepancies.
The BJP, however, rejected the allegations, describing them as a false negative campaign and an “unsuccessful attempt” by the Congress, and said the party was set to face defeat again in Nandigram.
According to the Congress, Rath’s affidavit mentions her age as 60 and states that she passed the Madhyamik examination in 1965. The party also alleged that Chowkhali Ganga Padma Milan Kanya Vidyapith, the school mentioned in the affidavit, did not have government recognition for Class X in 1965.
The BJP said there was no issue with Rath’s age and that she had studied in Class X in 1980. It attributed the discrepancy to a typographical error in the affidavit, saying, “Owing to a typographical mistake in the affidavit of the candidate the problem was created.”
The election office said Rath had passed matriculation from the same school under the system that existed at the time. It also said she was born in 1965 and studied in Class X in 1980.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking bail as soon as possible. His lawyer sought an urgent hearing, and the matter is likely to be heard this week as the October 6 bypoll approaches. Campaigning will end on October 4, while counting is scheduled for October 9.
Pradhan was sent to judicial custody by the Haldia Sub-Divisional Court on Saturday until October 3 in connection with four pending non-bailable arrest warrants linked to cases registered during the 2007 Nandigram movement.
On Monday, the Contai court sent him to 14 days of judicial custody until October 5 in an Arms Act case registered nearly two decades ago.
The Calcutta High Court on Monday was hearing Pradhan’s application seeking protection from coercive action in six cases. The state told the court that five of the cases had been withdrawn by the previous government and that Pradhan was not wanted in the sixth case.
Pradhan’s lawyer submitted that he was arrested on September 18 in connection with cases lodged during the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram, only after the Congress candidate received support from the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress for the bypoll.