Age row: Nomination papers of Lalu Prasad Yadav son’s under scanner
Patna: The election commission is likely to probe nomination papers of Lalu Yadav’s two sons after discrepancies regarding their age surfaced. Tej Pratap the elder son of Lalu Yadav while submitting his nomination papers on Monday is said to have mentioned his age as 25 years raising questions in the political circle.
According to BJP leaders the age mentioned by Tej Pratap in his nomination papers “appears incorrect as Tejaswi Yadav who is younger to Tej Pratap has mentioned his age as 26 years and submitted an affidavit claiming that he is only ninth pass”.
Both the sons of Lalu Yadav are contesting the assembly elections from Yadav dominated Mahua and Raghopur constituencies. Rejecting all allegations regarding discrepancy in age of his sons Lalu Yadav called it “mere rumor to malign his as well as his sons’ image ahead of assembly polls”, he said “they have mentioned the same age in the affidavit as given in the voter list and their ID cards. Age in voter ID cards are real and final, if it is written eighty years we will take it as final and even mention it in the nomination papers”.
Questioning the age of Lalu Yadav’s sons Tej Pratap and Tejaswi, leaders of BJP wants the election commission to take cognizance of the matter and initiate action. Raising doubts over Tejaswi Yadav’s educational qualification and his age, BJP state President Mangal Pandey said, “We all know that Tej Pratap is the elder son of Lalu Yadav and showing himself as younger to Tejaswi Yadav raises many doubts secondly Tejaswi in his nomination papers mentioned his qualification as ninth pass we have doubts regarding that too as we believe in order to hide his real age he has not submitted his board examination certificate. Their papers must be probed”.
According to sources, affidavits filed by Tej Pratap shows that he cleared his board examinations from Bihar School Examination Board in the year 2010 and has assets worth Rs. 1.12 Crore and loan of over Rs.18 Lakh while his younger son Tejaswi who is contesting assembly elections from Raghopur constituency is a school dropout and passed IX standard from New Delhi based public school in the year 2006. His asset mentioned in the affidavit, sources said is worth Rs. 1.40 Crore and also has a loan of Rs.34 Lakh.
