by Ashis Sinha
Ranchi: As the election season heats up in Jharkhand, tensions are rising between the ruling party and opposition factions, highlighted by fresh accusations against Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised concerns over discrepancies in Soren’s age as stated in his nomination papers for the upcoming elections.
Soren, who is running for the Barhet assembly seat, has claimed to be 49 years old in his current affidavit. However, in his 2019 nomination for the same seat, he listed his age as 42. The BJP is calling for the cancellation of his nomination due to this inconsistency.
Additionally, the BJP has questioned the chief minister’s property disclosures. In this year’s affidavit, Soren reported owning 23 non-agricultural plots, many acquired between 2006 and 2008, whereas his 2019 documents mentioned only two. The BJP alleges that Soren concealed these property details in previous filings, suggesting he misled the Election Commission of India.
Pratul Shahdev, the BJP’s state spokesperson, criticized Soren, stating, “Chief Minister Hemant Soren has committed fraud while filing his nomination. He needs to explain how his age increased by seven years in just five years, and why he hid property details from the Election Commission.” The party has filed an official complaint with the election officer regarding these claims.
Despite the allegations, the scrutiny of Soren’s nomination papers concluded on October 30, and his application was accepted. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Soren’s party, has dismissed the BJP’s accusations, arguing that they stem from the opposition’s fear of an impending defeat.
At a election rally on Saturday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan humorously criticized Soren’s age claims, stating, “Five years have passed since he claimed to be 42, so he should be 47 now. Yet, his age has increased by seven years. Either he doesn’t remember his age, or he’s used to lying. How can someone who can’t get their age right be trusted to ensure the welfare and development of the people of the state?”