The BJP dismissed the issue regarding Hasirani Rath’s birth year as a typographical error. The party stated that Hasirani Rath was a Class 10 student at the school mentioned in 1980, and not as indicated in the affidavit. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The academic qualifications of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Nandigram candidate, Hasirani Rath, predate her birth year, according to the affidavit Ms. Rath filed at the time of her nomination. Questioning the matter, the Opposition has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the discrepancy.
On Wednesday (September 23, 2026), the West Bengal unit of the Congress party also moved court and filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, challenging the alleged discrepancies in the BJP candidate’s education and birth year. The party has also moved court to seek bail for its Nandigram candidate, Milan Pradhan.
Mr. Pradhan has been arrested in four cases dating back to 2007 and sent to judicial custody till October 3, 2026, by the Haldia district court on September 19. Nandigram and Rejinagar go to the polls on October 6, leaving Mr. Pradhan with no time to campaign. Opposition leaders have criticised his arrest and called it “selective targeting”.
Only an error: BJP
The affidavit filed by Ms. Rath at the time of her nomination gave her highest educational qualification as Class 10. “Highest educational qualification: Class X, Chowkhali Ganga Padma Milan Kanya Vidyapith (ELS.), 1965,” the affidavit said. However, her age is given as over 60 years, indicating her birth year had to be 1965 or 1966.
“The [Congress] party today moved the Calcutta High Court with a bail petition on behalf of Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, and a writ petition concerning the affidavit submitted by BJP candidate Hasirani Rath,” the West Bengal Congress said in a statement.
The Congress leadership also called for the cancellation of Ms. Rath’s candidature. The BJP, meanwhile, dismissed the issue as a typographical error. The party stated that Ms. Rath was a Class 10 student at the school mentioned in 1980, and not as indicated in the affidavit.
Pradhan bail plea
On Tuesday (September 22, 2026) the Calcutta High Court asked the State government to ensure the Congress’s candidate Mr. Pradhan could fight the election properly, in case he secured bail in the cases filed against him.
The bail plea filed by the Congress on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) at the Calcutta High Court will be heard on Thursday (September 24, 2026).
Meanwhile, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Contai court on Wednesday sent Mr. Pradhan to judicial custody till October 7, one day after the polling date. “The government is scared; that’s why they are trapping me in fake cases,” Mr. Pradhan said on his way to court.
Published – September 23, 2026 09:09 pm IST
