Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 10: Nomination papers of Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, caught in an age controversy, was today cleared by the election authorities which rejected a complaint by AAP accusing him of submitting incorrect age.
Abdullah had in 2008 Assembly polls mentioned his age as 66 in his nomination papers and now six years later he has put it at 77, Shahnawaz Sultan said in his complaint on behalf of Aam Admi Party candidate Raja Muzaffar Bhat.
Returning officer for the constituency Farooq Ahmad Shah held that the nomination papers of Abdullah were in order and rejected the complaint.
Reacting to the controversy, Abdullah said that in 2008 his age was mentioned as 66 in the State electoral roll.
“It was a clerical mistake which was cleared immediately after the polls. So as per the new electoral roll my correct age was mentioned,” Abdullah said.
Referring to the controversy, Abdullah, who is the joint candidate of National Conference and Congress alliance, said there was no controversy in the first place. “Please do not fish where there are no rivers,” he said.
The returning officer rejected the nomination paper of one independent candidate from Srinagar constituency, leaving 15 others in the fray.
“Nomination papers submitted by Nisar Ahmad Ahanger were found incomplete and rejected. As such 15 candidates are now in the fray for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency,” an official spokesman said.
He said withdrawal of nomination papers has been fixed for April 12 for the Lok Sabha seat which goes to polls on April 30.
Over 12 lakh voters are eligible to cast votes at 1500 polling stations in three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.
Election for the Srinagar seat is expected to be direct contest between Abdullah and State’s main Opposition PDP candidate Tariq Hamid Karra.
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