BJP claims age mismatch in Hemant Soren's affidavit, demands candidature cancelled

BJP's Barhait nominee Gamliyel Hembrom alleged on October 30, that the Jharkhand Chief Minister mentioned 42 years as his age in the affidavit filed in 2019, but 49 years in 2024.

In Short

• BJP's Barhait candidate files complaint against Hemant Soren
• Says he mentioned his age as 42 years in 2019, but 49 years in 2024
• Soren's party, Congress hit back at BJP, accusing it of diverting from issues

A major political face-off between rival parties in Jharkhand has erupted after the BJP claimed an age-mismatch by Chief Minister Hemant Soren as furnished by him in his affidavit filed along with the nomination papers for the state polls.

While the BJP demanded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief's candidature from the Barhait Assembly seat be cancelled for the alleged discrepancy, the JMM and Congress hit back at the saffron party, accusing it of attempting to "divert people's attention".

BJP's Barhait nominee Gamliyel Hembrom, who has been pitted against Soren, alleged in a complaint filed with the Election Commission on October 30, that the Chief Minister mentioned 42 years as his age in the affidavit filed in 2019, but 49 years in 2024.

"For the 2024 (Jharkhand) Assembly polls, he mentioned 49 years as his age in the affidavit. How can the age of a person increase by seven in five years," Hembrom claimed, while demanding the cancellation of JMM chief's candidature.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo attacked Soren for alleged mismatch of age in his nomination papers and also claimed that so many assets mentioned by him in his earlier affidavits have disappeared this time.

Reacting to the formal complaint lodged by the BJP Barhait candidate with the poll panel, JMM MP Mahua Maji retorted that the saffron party is resorting to such claims as they do not want to fight on the issue of development.

"BJP raises all kinds of issues. They do not want to fight the elections on the issue of development. They try to stab you in the back, but they will not succeed. We will win and form the government here," the JMM Ranchi candidate was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

JMM leader Manoj Pandey said that the BJP has become distracted as they are staring at big defeat in the state polls.

"We do not hide anything. Everything is crystal clear. Documents are attached and verified. They (BJP) are seeing a huge defeat in front of them, they should not lose mental balance. The BJP cadre have become distracted," Pandey asserted.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Subodh Kant Sahai expressed support to the party's INDIA bloc partners, suggesting that the BJP should not blow things out of proportion and should rather look at Hemant Soren's educational certificates to be sure about his age.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who was in Ranchi on Friday to review the party's preparations for the Assembly polls, said that this is yet another attempt by the BJP to divert from the common man's issues. He asserted that the INDIA bloc would win the elections.

The election to the 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20. The results will be declared on November 23.