A controversy has begun over the age of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The BJP has alleged that Hemant Soren's age increased by seven years in the last five years. Soren declared his age to be 42 in 2019, but this year, he mentioned in the affidavit that his age is 49.
Taking a dig at Soren, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo, posted on X: "Have you ever heard of someone's age increasing by 7 years in 5 years? This can happen in Jharkhand."
Documents Are Proof Of Hemant Soren's Age: JMM
The JMM hit back at the BJP's attack, saying that the documents submitted today prove Hemant Soren's age. The Party said the BJP is raking up such issues because it has conceded defeat even before the Jharkhand assembly elections. "Tanuj Khatri, JMM spokesperson, said: "The documents submitted with the affidavits prove that Hemant Soren is 49. But the BJP is raking up such issues because it has no one to challenge Hemant Soren. It doesn't have a CM face.
Earlier, the BJP attacked Soren, saying he had deceived the people of Barhait constituency to gain power. His BJP opponent from the constituency Gamaliyal Hembrom said: "This election is not just my fight; it’s the fight of the people of this constituency. There are 618 villages under this assembly constituency, and even if you visit 10% of them, you can gauge the lack of development in terms of education, healthcare, and drinking water."
Hembrom accused the Chief Minister of deceiving the "simple people of Barhait" with false promises and assurances every election. He claimed that Soren uses religious and cultural symbols like the bow and arrow and leverages the local social culture and language to repeatedly secure power. He pointed out that fundamental issues affecting the Adivasi community, like livelihood and marriage prospects, remain unaddressed, with women from the community having to migrate to Delhi for menial jobs.
According to Hembrom, it’s hard to find a single household in Barhait whose daughters aren’t working in other states. He also remarked on the decline in the local Adivasi population, indicating the difficult living conditions for the community.
Hembrom also said, “She is Shibu Soren’s daughter-in-law and Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s sister-in-law. She is respected like a mother, yet she is abused." He indicated that Sita Soren is abused with Hemant Soren's consent.
BJP leader Babulal Marandi said: “The people of Barhait are ready for change, against corruption, nepotism, and appeasement.”
The first phase of voting for the Jharkhand Assembly is set for November 13, with the second phase on November 20, and the counting of votes on November 23.