PM files affidavit correcting age to 80 in RS poll papers

Guwahati, May 21: In a gaffe that cost the UPA government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in particular, major embarrassment, the nomination filing process became the talking point for the counrty as it obsessed over the 'actual' age of its head of state.

A full week later, it was time to put the ghost of an innocent mistake to rest.

Setting the record straight, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress Rajya Sabha candidate from Assam, has filed a fresh affidavit correcting his age to 80 prior to scrutiny of the nominations today.

The Prime Minister submitted the fresh affidavit two days ago correcting his age to 80 from 82 as given earlier in his nomination papers for the May 30 election, Assembly sources said today.

As per rule, there was time till yesterday for contestants to submit affidavits for making corrections in their nomination papers, they said.

The Prime Minister had filed his nomination papers on May 15 at the state Assembly before the Assembly Principal Secretary G P Das, who is also the Returning officer for the Rajya Sabha elections.

May 23 is the last date of withdrawal of candidatures.

PTI