BJP’s Guwahati Candidate Lands in Trouble After Submitting 'False Educational Data'

Guwahati: The BJP’s Guwahati candidate, Queen Ojha, has landed in a soup after she allegedly submitted “false data” about her educational qualification in support of her nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In an affidavit filed before the returning officer of the Lok Sabha polls in Amingaon, Guwahati, Ojha mentioned that she had completed her higher secondary in the year 2011 from Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University (KKHSOU). However, the University said they never offered a ‘higher secondary’ (HS) course or any course that is equivalent to it.

The KKHSOU registrar, Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, said, “The university previously offered a course called ‘Bachelor Preparatory Programme’ (BPP) for the candidates who failed in their HSLC or HS but wanted to enrol for a degree course. However, we suspended the BPP course two years ago.”

When asked about the allegation, Ojha told News18, "I am politically educated and I am serving people for the last 35 years. There might be an error while writing the affidavit, the enquiry will clear everything."

Congress candidate Bobbeeta Sharma and independent candidate Upamanyu Hazarika contesting for the same constituency said they would raise the issue with the Election Commission. "Why is someone trying to fake educational qualification? I will bring up the issue with EC,” Hazarika told.

Bobbeeta Sharma has also sought legal help from her lawyer to discuss whether the issue can be raised any further to cancel Ojha’s nomination.

"This controversy is very unfortunate and if any fraudulent activity has actually happened that should be taken care by EC. I have already handed over all documents to my lawyer for proceeding to file an official complaint,” Sharma told News18.

Ojha, on the other hand, seemed quite confident of clearing the air and termed it as a “conspiracy” of a vested group. She once held the position of Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation and now has been fielded by BJP to replace the party’s sitting MP from Guwahati, Bijoya Chakravarty.