Kolkata, Sep 24 The BJP’s Nandigram bypoll nominee Hasirani Rath and the Election Commission on Thursday questioned the maintainability of a petition filed by the Congress in the Calcutta High Court, alleging a discrepancy in her age and the school passing-out year mentioned in the affidavit.
The candidate’s counsel stated before the court of Justice Krishna Rao that any issue relating to a poll can be assailed by way of an election petition only after the poll process is over.
The EC’s lawyer also questioned the maintainability of the petition, stating that the election process has already started and the petitioner, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), has no locus standi in the matter.
Justice Rao adjourned the hearing of the petition till Friday due to paucity of time.
Lawyer Ritju Ghosal stated before the court that Rath’s affidavit mentioned her age as “60-plus”, and not her birth year, and she listed her Class 10 school-leaving year as 1965, pointing to a “discrepancy” over her age and the time of attaining the educational qualification.
Ghosal stated that it is the duty of the Election Commission officials to verify the documents submitted.
He prayed for an order by the court for examining the documents submitted by the BJP candidate for the October 6 by-election to Nandigram constituency.
Rath was fielded by the BJP from Nandigram, the seat vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after he retained Bhabanipur following the 2026 Assembly elections.
The candidate is the mother of Chandranath Rath, an aide of Adhikari, who was shot dead in Madhyamgram near here in May this year.
(PTI News)
