Kolkata, September 29 (Daily Kiran) : The Kolkata High Court has dismissed a petition from the West Bengal Congress Party challenging the nomination of BJP candidate Hasirani Rath for the upcoming by-election in the Nandigram assembly constituency, scheduled for October 6.
Justice Krishna Rao’s single-judge bench announced its decision on September 25 after hearing arguments from both sides. The court upheld the validity of Rath’s nomination papers and rejected Congress’s plea to disqualify her candidacy.
Senior lawyer Ritu Ghoshal represented the Congress, alleging discrepancies in the candidate’s affidavit regarding her age and educational qualifications. According to the petition, the information provided was inconsistent and raised questions about the truthfulness of Rath’s claims.
Ghoshal argued that Rath stated she is over 60 years old and claimed to have passed her secondary examination in 1965, which contradicts the birth date mentioned in the same document. “This implies she was born in 1966. How could she pass her secondary exam before her birth?” Ghoshal questioned.
She further contended that the information about the candidate’s age and academic record was “practically impossible” and called for her nomination to be annulled. Ghoshal also criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for not taking action despite reviewing the affidavit.
In response, lawyers for the ECI and Rath argued that the returning officer checks the information when a candidate submits an affidavit, and no objections were raised during that phase.
Accepting these arguments, Justice Rao dismissed the Congress petition, allowing Rath to continue her electoral campaign. Voting for the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly by-elections will take place on October 6, with the counting of votes set for October 9.
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