The Election Commission of India has issued a formal notice to Nobel laureate and economist Amartya Sen as part of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The notice calls for a hearing at the 92-year-old's residence in Santiniketan on January 16, 2026.
Details of the EC Notice and Hearing
The notice was served by Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) of Bolpur, Taniya Roy. It was delivered to Sen's residence, 'Pratichi', on the Visva-Bharati campus by a local Booth Level Officer. The core issue raised in the notice pertains to the age difference between Sen and his mother, which is recorded as less than 15 years in the received enumeration form. The EC has asked Sen to present necessary documents to clarify the discrepancy during the hearing.
Given that Sen is over 85 years old, the hearing will be conducted at his home. An official from the state Chief Electoral Office stated that all voters are equal in the eyes of the EC and no special treatment was being accorded. The official clarified that any voter facing a similar issue would need to submit one of the 13 documents specified by the Commission. Sen is registered as a voter in the Bolpur Assembly constituency in Birbhum district and is mentioned as a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) in the notice.
Political Reactions and Allegations
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongly criticized the move, labeling it a "shameful farce." In a post on social media platform X, the party questioned the need to subject a globally respected Nobel laureate to such a hearing. "Amartya Sen, whose groundbreaking works form the bedrock of modern economics... has been issued a SIR hearing notice," the TMC stated.
Adding to the criticism, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged a nexus between the Election Commission and the BJP, claiming that people of West Bengal were being targeted under the guise of the SIR. "In the name of SIR, the BJP-ECI nexus is targeting people of Bengal," he said during his 'Abar Jitbe Bangla' campaign tour. When questioned if Sen was targeted for his critical views of the central government, Banerjee implied the question had merit.
The Context of Special Intensive Revision
The notice to Amartya Sen is part of the broader Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive currently underway in West Bengal. This process is designed to meticulously clean and update the electoral rolls, often flagging inconsistencies for verification. While the EC maintains it is a routine administrative procedure applied uniformly, the case involving such a prominent figure has brought significant public and political attention to the process.
The upcoming hearing on January 16 at Sen's Santiniketan residence will determine the outcome of this particular query. The case highlights the EC's procedural steps in maintaining voter list integrity, even as it sparks debate on the perception and political implications of such actions against eminent personalities.
