The Election Commission of India has issued a hearing notice to Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, triggering a political row in the state.
According to officials, the notice was issued on Wednesday and handed over by a Booth Level Officer to Sen’s relatives at his Pratichi residence in Bolpur, Shantiniketan, in Birbhum district. The hearing has been scheduled for January 16, when the Booth Level Officer will visit Sen’s residence to verify what the Commission described as discrepancies in his enumeration form.
Election Commission officials said the notice was generated after an issue was flagged in the form related to age details. “A hearing notice was generated for Amartya Sen as his age difference with his mother appeared to be less than 15 years according to the enumeration form. There must have been some discrepancy. The EC does not issue notices unnecessarily,” an official said, adding that special provisions exist for voters above the age of 85. The official also said that any voter facing such issues is required to submit one of the 13 documents prescribed by the Commission.
Sen’s relatives, however, alleged that the notice amounted to harassment. His cousin Shantabhanu Sen said the claim made in the notice was factually incorrect. “This is clearly harassment of Amartya Sen. He has voted earlier as well. The notice mentions that the age difference between him and his mother is 15 years, but the actual difference is around 19 and a half years. I do not understand how such a notice could have been issued,” he said.
The issue quickly escalated into a political controversy. The Congress demanded an apology from the Election Commission, calling the notice “tragic”. In a post on X, the party alleged that the Commission had damaged its credibility by issuing such a notice to a globally respected academic.
The Trinamool Congress also attacked the ECI and the BJP, questioning why an internationally recognised Nobel laureate was being dragged into what it described as a flawed process. “A Nobel laureate should be above suspicion. But if he is a Bengali, he is served hearing notices like a criminal,” the party said in a social media post, calling the SIR exercise a farce.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee earlier alleged that the Election Commission was selectively targeting prominent personalities from Bengal, referring not only to Amartya Sen but also to cricketer Mohammed Shami and actor Dev.
EC sources, however, had earlier told PTI that Sen was not required to physically appear for a hearing and that the issue was technical in nature. “The confusion is purely administrative and has no bearing on voter eligibility. Officials have been instructed to resolve such matters without creating unnecessary controversy,” an EC source said.
The controversy comes amid widespread criticism of the Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal. More than 58 lakh voters have been dropped from the draft electoral rolls following the revision, leading to strong objections from the ruling Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar urging that the exercise be halted, citing serious procedural lapses and the risk of disenfranchisement. The BJP, however, has defended the process, accusing the state government of trying to obstruct electoral reforms.
