Election Oversight: Underage Sarpanch Elected in Gujarat
An underage woman was elected as Sarpanch in Gujarat's Mehsana district after election officials failed to verify her age, which should be 21. The issue surfaced when preparing a list of elected sarpanches for a state event. The matter is under review by local and state authorities for further action.
- Country:
- India
An underage woman secured the position of village sarpanch in Gujarat's Mehsana district when election officials overlooked the verification of her age. The discovery was made during the preparation of a list of newly-elected sarpanches for a felicitation ceremony by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Afroz Parmar was elected as sarpanch of Gilosan village during the gram panchayat polls held on June 22. The Taluka Development Officer, Ashish Patel, detailed that Parmar claimed to be of the requisite age of 21 at the time of her nomination. The officials responsible for the oversight, Nayan Prajapati and Jignesh Solanki, accepted her papers without verification.
Ahead of the Chief Minister's event, cross-referencing her election ID and school leaving certificate revealed she did not meet the minimum age requirement. Authorities have reported this discrepancy to higher officials for further investigation and potential action.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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