Criminal slur on Assam Rajya Sabha candidate

GUWAHATI - Media baron Jayanta Baruah, the opposition combine’s candidate for next week’s Rajya Sabha election, has been accused of concealing in his affidavit information relating to his conviction in a criminal case. Baruah has dismissed the allegation.

Congress candidate Silvius Condpan Friday lodged a complaint with the returning officer at the Assam assembly, saying the opposition candidate and proprietor of the Asomiya Pratidin group of newspapers made false submissions in his affidavit and demanded cancellation of his candidature.

“Jayanta Baruah was convicted in a criminal case and was sentenced to one month imprisonment and fine of Rs.10,000 in case No 604/2001 at the court of the additional sessions judge (Fast Track Court) in Mangaldoi. But he concealed facts and said there was no criminal cases against him in his affidavit,” Condpan said in his complaint.

Another allegation against Baruah is about his age.

“Baruah in his affidavit said he was aged about 47 and said he passed his matriculation exams in 1975. Questions are asked - did Jayanta Baruah pass his matriculation at the age of 12 if he is now 47 years old,” the Congress candidate said in his complaint.

Baruah dismissed the charges as “Congress propaganda”.

“The Congress candidate should have raised this objection before the scrutiny of nomination papers and now after my papers are declared valid, I don’t think this is an issue at all. This is nothing but Congress propaganda and I am not at all perturbed,” he said.

Election for the two Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled March 26. Both the seats are now held by the ruling Congress party.

The Congress fielded two candidates - Condpan being the second preference candidate, while Nazneen Farooq is their first choice.

The main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) fielded just one candidate - Jayanta Baruah.

While the Congress’s first preference candidate is sure to win, their second candidate would scrap through only if there is cross voting in the opposition camp.

“Anything could happen in elections and let us keep our fingers crossed,” Assam Health Minister and senior Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said.