The nomination papers of Adivasi girl and Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) candidate from Tezpur Laxmi Orang has been declared invalid by the returning officer on the grounds that she was underage to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Orang was allegedly stripped in public in Guwahati on November 24,2007 when a rally organised by the Adivasi Students Association of Assam (ASAA) turned violent. The AUDF had fielded her as a candidate from the prestigious Tezpur LS seat. Though Orang had produced a certificate issued by a local high school which mentioned her year of birth as 1983,it had no endorsement from the inspector of schools office. The electoral rolls,on the other hand,mentions her age as 19, an official at the office of returning officer in Tezpur said. The AUDF,anticipating Orangs nomination might be rejected,had put up her father Deba Orang as a substitute candidate. Deba Orang is now our candidate from Tezpur, AUDF general secretary Jenat Mollah said.
