Academic qualifications of Nandigram BJP candidate predate her birth; Congress moves court
The Opposition party has also sought bail for its Nandigram candidate, Milan Pradhan, terming his arrest ‘selective targeting’
Hasirani Rath, the BJP candidate for Nandigram, listed Class 10 as her highest educational qualification in an affidavit filed at the time of her nomination. However, her age is stated as being over 60, suggesting her birth year could be 1965 or 1966. The Opposition, led by the Congress party, has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India regarding the discrepancy in Rath's academic qualifications.
The West Bengal unit of the Congress party also filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, challenging the alleged discrepancies in Rath's education and birth year. Additionally, the Congress has moved court to seek bail for their Nandigram candidate, Milan Pradhan, who has been arrested four times since 2007 and is currently in judicial custody until October 3, 2026.
Pradhan has been accused of selective targeting by opposition leaders, who have criticized his arrest. The BJP has dismissed the issue as a typographical error, stating that Rath was a Class 10 student at the school mentioned in 1980. The Calcutta High Court has ordered the State government to ensure Pradhan can properly contest the election if he is granted bail, with the bail plea hearing scheduled for September 24, 2026.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
