New Delhi:
Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 80 or 82 years old? In an affidavit he submitted to the returning officer in Assam on Wednesday while filing his nomination papers for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Dr Singh mentions his age as 82 years.
However, that does not match with his age recorded in a previous affidavit that he had filed just before the May 2007 Rajya Sabha elections. In that, he had said he was 74 years old, which would make him 80 plus years now. That number tallies with his date of birth listed on the Prime Minister's Office Website.
His official online profile says Dr Singh was born on September 26, 1932, which would mean he turns 81 later this year.
This discrepancy could turn out to be an embarrassment for the Prime Minister who is already on the backfoot following a slew of scams and scandals that have punctuated his second term at the helm of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.