Bengal Voter List Row: Amartya Sen Notice Claim Debunked By Election Commission

A claim by Trinamool Congress that Amartya Sen was called for an Election Commission hearing sparked controversy, but the poll body clarified it was only a spelling error in voter records.

Amartya Sen is a registered voter in Shantiniketan, which was founded by Rabindranath Tagore.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Trinamool claimed Amartya Sen summoned by Election Commission.
• Election Commission clarified notice due to spelling error.
• Amartya Sen's Trust denied receiving any notice.

A fresh political controversy erupted in West Bengal after the Trinamool Congress claimed that Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen was called for a hearing by the Election Commission of India during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. The claim was made by Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee at a public rally in Birbhum. 

However, the Election Commission later clarified that no hearing was required and said the issue was only due to a spelling mistake in the voter records. Sources also said the problem would be corrected locally.

Amartya Sen Election Commission Notice Clarified As Technical Error

Soon after the claim made by the Trinamool Congress, sources in the Election Commission said that Amartya Sen does not need to appear for any hearing. According to them, the system showed a spelling mismatch in the enumeration form. Due to this mismatch, a computer-generated notice was automatically issued.

Election Commission sources explained that this was not a deliberate action and happened because of a technical error. The Commission has now instructed the concerned Booth Level Officer to correct the spelling mistake in the records. Once fixed, no further steps are required.

Adding to this clarification, sources from Amartya Sen’s Trust told NDTV that no Special Intensive Revision notice has been received at his residence in Bolpur till now. This further supported the Election Commission’s claim that the issue was only procedural.

Special Intensive Revision Voter List Bengal Triggers Political Clash

Amartya Sen is a registered voter in Shantiniketan, which was founded by Rabindranath Tagore. He last cast his vote in 2014 and continues to hold a valid voter ID card.

At the Birbhum rally, Abhishek Banerjee strongly criticised the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing them of targeting people in West Bengal through the Special Intensive Revision process. He also claimed that notices were issued to Trinamool MP and actor Dev, cricketer Mohammed Shami, and Amartya Sen.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress approached the Supreme Court of India, alleging that the Election Commission is conducting the Special Intensive Revision exercise in a non-transparent and unorganised manner.

The matter continues to remain politically sensitive as the face-off between the ruling party and the Election Commission intensifies in Bengal.

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