Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat accused of providing wrong information in election affidavit

Dehradun: In what can spell trouble for Uttarakhand Chief Minister, a complaint has been filed against Trivendra Singh Rawat on charges that he provided wrong information regarding his age in the election affidavit for Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2017.

The complainant, identified as Raghunath Singh Negi, has alleged, "In 2014 assembly bypoll Trivendra Rawat ji filed an affidavit mentioning 54 years as his age. However, the affidavit which he filed for 2017 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, also mentions the same age."

"How come Trivendra Rawat's age didn't increase in three years? This is a big offence," the complainant said.

If the allegations are proven, it could be fatal for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader as the Election Commission has the right to annul his election in such circumstances.

Rawat, a long-time RSS activist, took oath as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on March 18, 2017.

A former associate of now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rawat was Agriculture Minister in the previous BJP government in Uttarakhand, which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

Elected from Doiwala, where he defeated Congress`s Hira Singh Bisht with a margin of over 24,000 votes, Rawat is widely respected in the party for his organisational skills. He was a `Pracharak` in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).