CM older by 8 years in 5 years of power!

The grand old man of Punjab politics,had mentioned his age 76 years in the affidavit filed during the last Assembly elections in 2007. However,in the papers that he submitted while filing nomination in Malout for the Lambi Assembly constituency on Tuesday,he marked his age as 84.

Badal,meanwhile,is unfazed by the controversy that has erupted over his age. “My age difference is due to a clerical mistake during the time of filing the nomination. I don’t even know my date of birth. It does not make any material difference since the age to contest elections is 25 years,” he said.

The controversy has,however,given the Opposition Congress,a reason to take pot-shots at the Badal,who was recently crowned with the Panth Rattan title.

“Badal never grows. His 80 years old in 2002 when our government came to power and now after 10 years he should be 90 years old. But,he is still 84. Every three years,he grows old by one year,” state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh said,adding that it was during his tenure that the present CM had celebrated his 82nd birthday in Bathinda. “Our youth leader Vijay Inder Singla went there and had wished Badal,” Amarinder recalled.

Meanwhile,the Special Chief Electoral Officer,Punjab,Usha Sharma too tried to downplay the controversy. “The candidate submits the affidavit mentioning his age. If one mentions wrong age,anybody can challenge it in court by way of petition. The nomination papers cannot be rejected on this ground. Also we have not got any complaint till date on the issue,” she said.

The official website of Shiromani Akali Dal mentions that Badal was born December 8,1927 in the Abul Khurana village in Faridkot.

He entered politics in 1947 and was elected to Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1957,remained Chief Minister of Punjab from March 27,1970 to June 14,1971,then from June 20,1977 to February 17,1980 and then from February 1997 to till date. He remained a Member of Parliament and became Union Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation in the Union government headed by Late Morarji Desai. He also remained the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1972,1980 and from 2002-2007.