Congress moves Calcutta HC over Nandigram BJP candidate's affidavit
Congress has filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court over alleged discrepancies in BJP Nandigram candidate Hasirani Rath's affidavit, and a bail plea for its own candidate Milan Pradhan.
The West Bengal Congress on Wednesday moved the Calcutta High Court with a writ petition concerning the nomination affidavit of the BJP's Nandigram candidate, Hasirani Rath, and a bail plea for its own Nandigram nominee, Milan Pradhan.
At issue is the educational qualification declared by Ms. Rath in her affidavit. She listed her highest qualification as Class X from Chowkhali Ganga Padma Milan Kanya Vidyapith (ELS.), with the year given as 1965. Her declared age, however, is above 60, which would place her birth year around 1965 or 1966 — meaning the schooling recorded in the affidavit predates her birth.
The Congress has also complained to the Election Commission of India about the discrepancy and has demanded that Ms. Rath's candidature be cancelled. The BJP has rejected the charge, describing the year in the affidavit as a typographical error and stating that she was a Class 10 student at the school in 1980, not in 1965.
Separately, the Congress has approached the High Court seeking bail for Mr. Pradhan, who was arrested in four cases dating back to 2007. The Haldia district court sent him to judicial custody till October 3 on September 19, while the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Contai on Wednesday extended custody till October 7 — a day after polling in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6.
"The government is scared; that's why they are trapping me in fake cases," Mr. Pradhan said on his way to court. Opposition leaders have criticised the arrest as selective targeting.
On Tuesday, the High Court asked the State government to ensure that Mr. Pradhan could contest the election properly should he secure bail. The bail plea filed on Wednesday is scheduled to be heard on Thursday.