Cleared Class 10 before birth?: Congress moves court on BJP’s Bengal candidate

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.