‘Sonaram didn’t age in five years’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has an MP who hasn’t aged in five years, according to his election affidavit. In May 2014, Colonel Sonaram Choudhary was 73 years old when he won the election and in November 2018, he is still the same age, the affidavit says.

The BJP fielded sitting parliamentarian from Barmer assembly seat and Choudhary filed his nomination on Monday. In the affidavit he submitted before the returning officer, he has mentioned his age as 73.

In May 2014, Choudhary contested parliamentary elections from Barmer when he was 73 years old, according to his affidavit then. His nomination paper, along with the affidavits, are available on the Election Commission website.

Choudhary contested assembly election in 2008 and 2013 from Baytoo assembly seat. He won in 2008 and lost in 2013.

Interestingly, in the affidavit he filed for the 2008 election, Choudhary mentioned his age as 65, going by which he should be 70 in 2013. However, when he filed documents for the 2013 assembly election from Baytoo assembly seat, he mentioned that he was 72 years old.

A veteran Jat leader in Marwar politics, Choudhary won four Lok Sabha elections -- three times as Congress candidate. He lost parliamentary election in 2004 to BJP’s Manvendra Singh, who recently joined Congress and is contesting election against chief minister Vasundhara Raje from her home turf Jhalrapatan.

Choudhary contested assembly election on Congress ticket from Baitu assembly seat in 2008 and 2013. He won in 2008 but lost in 2013. After facing defeat in the assembly election, Choudhary quit Congress and joined the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha election. He contested against veteran leader Jaswant Singh and won.

Now he is again back in state politics to contest election as BJP candidate from Barmer assembly seat.

Sonaram Choudhary was not available for his comments after repeated attempts. BJP district president Dileep Plaiwal said he did not see document and cannot comment.

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