Bengal SIR: Controversy Over Summoning Celebrities Baseless, Says Election Commission

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday dismissed as baseless the controversies surrounding the summoning of celebrities and prominent individuals for hearings related to claims and objections on the draft voters’ list in West Bengal.

The clarification follows recent political uproar after Chandra Kumar Bose, grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, was served a notice to appear before election authorities for a hearing. Similar objections had earlier been raised over notices sent to several well-known figures.

Addressing the issue, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, explained that the summons issued to Chandra Kumar Bose were routine and procedural in nature.

“The claim is misleading. The enumeration form clearly shows that the linkage column is left blank. He has, therefore, been called for a hearing like all other similarly placed electors, as per the notification of the ECI,” the CEO’s office said in a clarification.

Political controversy had earlier erupted over hearing notices sent to actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Dipak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev; former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Mohun Bagan football club president Swapan Sadhan Bose, widely known as Tutu Bose; his son Srinjoy Bose, also a former Rajya Sabha MP and current general secretary of Mohun Bagan; and Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami.

Sources in the CEO’s office said that in all these cases, the notices were issued solely because the linkage columns in the enumeration forms were left blank. “In each instance, the CEO’s office had to issue clarifications. Had there been proper verification of the reasons behind the notices, such controversies would not have arisen,” the sources added.

The deadline for submitting claims and objections to the draft electoral roll expires on Monday, although hearings on these matters will continue until February 7. After the completion of the hearing process, the full bench of the Election Commission is scheduled to visit West Bengal, following which the ECI is expected to announce the polling dates for the upcoming and crucial West Bengal Assembly elections.

With inputs from IANS