SIR: Amartya Sen gets EC notice for hearing; West Bengal CEO calls it ‘routine verification’

Kolkata: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered a fresh controversy in West Bengal after notices were issued to several prominent personalities, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, to appear for hearings. Besides Sen, cricketer Mohammed Shami and Bengali actor-turned-TMC MP Dev were also summoned by the Election Commission.

Amid the controversy, the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) clarified that the hearing notices issued to Sen and others were part of a routine electoral verification process and not targeted actions.

According to a clarification issued by the CEO on Wednesday, scrutiny of the enumeration forms revealed that mandatory linkage columns had been left blank by the concerned electors. Such cases automatically require a hearing, and notices were issued to these individuals, along with several other similarly placed electors, in accordance with Election Commission notifications.

“The Enumeration Form clearly shows that the linkage columns have been left blank by the elector,” the state CEO’s office said in a post on X.

Explaining the case of economist Amartya Sen, the CEO’s office said his enumeration form, submitted as an overseas elector, was received by a family member, Shantabhanu Sen, who linked him with his mother, Amita Sen. Since the age difference between the elector and his mother was less than 15 years, a logical discrepancy was flagged by the ERO Net portal, it said.

“As in other discrepancy cases, a notice was generated for Dr Amartya Sen,” the CEO’s office said.

Taking note of his advanced age, it added: “As the elector is aged above 85 years, the ERO/AERO, along with the BLO, visited his residence and completed the required formalities.”

The CEO’s office reiterated that the procedure followed was uniform and strictly in accordance with Election Commission rules, and that the issuance of notices did not involve any special or selective action, PTI reported.

The final SIR list will be released in West Bengal on February 14.