As Jharkhand gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has submitted his nomination for the Barhait constituency. However, his affidavit has faced criticism from opposition parties over inconsistencies regarding his stated age.
Gamliyel Hembrom, the BJP candidate for Barhait, lodged a complaint with the Election Commission on 30 October, claiming that Soren inaccurately reported his age in the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Soren’s age has increased by seven years over a period of five years. In his 2019 nomination, his age was listed as 42 years, whereas this year’s document states he is 49, prompting questions and criticism.
The BJP's Barhait nominee, who is contesting against the Chief Minister, has demanded the cancellation of Soren's nomination due to alleged discrepancies in his age.
Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo questioned how someone’s age could increase by seven years in just five years.
BJP leaders have filed complaints with Election Commission raising concerns about a decrease in Soren’s income, from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. BJP claims that several assets were not disclosed by Soren in the affidavit.
Amid the controversy over Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's age, Assam Chief Minister and BJP co-in-charge for the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday called the entire system of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) "fake."
"The entire system of JMM is fake. If you look at the details of their property in the affidavit, their age has also increased... This is a government of infiltrators. If the state government comes to power again, no one will be safe... It is the responsibility of the people of Jharkhand to remove them from power," CM Sarma said.
He further reacted to Congress leader Irfan Ansari's derogatory statements against BJP leader Sita Soren and noted that the Jharkhand government took no action against him.
In response to the allegations, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) defended Soren, claiming that the BJP’s actions stem from frustration. JMM leader Manoj Pandey dismissed the accusations as "baseless," asserting that all nomination documentation had been verified.
He suggested that the BJP’s focus on the affidavit reflects "their fear of a significant defeat in Jharkhand." Pandey maintained that the JMM has consistently upheld transparency in its declarations.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also reacted to the growing controversy, characterising the allegations as a "diversion tactic" by the Bharatiya Janata Party. He stated, “They (the BJP) will invent new issues to distract attention... We are confident that we will win and form the government once more.”
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