First time ever: Modi declares Jashodaben as wife in poll affidavit

Gujarat chief minister whose personal life has largely been a hush-hush topic has acknowledged Jashodaben has his wife in the affidavit he filed for his nomination at Vadodora. This is the first time that he has acknowledged Jashodaben in an official document. You can check out Modi’s nomination for the 2014 elections here, (Please note the document is in Gujarati). While Modi has mentioned Jashodaben as his spouse, where her PAN number and other financial details are concerned, it has been listed as not known. In the 2012 Gujarat elections, Modi had not acknowledged Jashodaben, and had left the section of the form which asked about the spouse as blank. [caption id=“attachment_1473509” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Modi filed his nomination from Vadodara yesterday. PTI[/caption] According to a Times of India report, “the declaration is reported to have come after strict legal advice that he come clean on the marriage which, his family members say, was never consummated.” Where Jashodaben is concerned, not much is known about her, except for a profile that was done by Open Magazine in 2009. According to the profile, “Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi worked as a school teacher in Rajosana village in Gujarat who lived in a small room with no bathroom and even access to water.” While in the village she is known a ‘Narendrabhai Modi’s wife’. However when asked to talk about herself, Jashodaben seemed unsure and said,“I will not say anything against my husband. He is very powerful. This job is all I have to survive. I am afraid of the consequences.” Earlier in 2014, Indian Express also interviewed her, where she spoke about how she and Modi had never been in touch. Jashodaben and Narendra Modi were married at 17 and separated after about three years. She had told the paper, that she read every newspaper article on him, but doesn’t have any hopes of reuniting with him if he does become PM. “I have never gone to meet him and we have never been in touch. I don’t think he will ever call me. In whatever I say, I do not want it to harm him. I just wish that he progresses in whatever he does. I know he will become PM one day!”, she told the paper. The Vadodara LS seat which has been chosen by Modi from 26 constituencies of Gujarat is considered to be one of the safest seat. Modi is also contesting election from Varanasi where he is challenging Aam Aadmi Party candidate Arvind Kejriwal and Congress’ local MLA Ajay Rai.