The Calcutta High Court on Friday dismissed a petition by the Congress’ West Bengal unit, alleging a discrepancy in the age and the school pass-out year mentioned in a poll affidavit by the BJP’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Hasirani Rath.
The state Congress had claimed that Rath’s affidavit mentioned her age as 60-plus, while she listed her Class 10 pass-out year as 1965, pointing out that this leaves an age gap. Justice Krishna Rao pronounced in court that the petition by the state Congress is dismissed. A detailed judgment is likely to be uploaded on the High Court website later in the day.
Following the conclusion of arguments on September 25, Justice Rao had reserved judgment in the Congress party’s petition. The Election Commission (ECI) had claimed that the West Bengal Congress has no locus standi as they have no right to complain about candidature scrutiny.
