The Election Commission on Wednesday, 7th January, issued a notice to Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The notice seeks a hearing with the 92-year-old academic on 16th January at his residence, officials confirmed.
Amartya Sen is currently abroad. As a result, the notice was delivered to a member of his family at his ancestral home, located in Bolpur of Birbhum district in West Bengal. Officials said Sen’s cousin received the notice and assured authorities that the information would be passed on to him.
Clarifying the matter, a senior official from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office said that only one notice had been issued to Sen. The official dismissed speculation about multiple notices and explained that the hearing was requested due to a “logical discrepancy” found during the voter list revision process.
According to the official, the issue arose after officials noticed that the age difference between Amartya Sen and his mother, as mentioned in the enumeration form, was recorded as less than 15 years. Since this appeared illogical, the Election Commission decided to seek clarification.
The official also pointed out that since Sen is above 85 years of age, the hearing would not require him to visit any office. Instead, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) concerned would visit his residence, as per Election Commission rules meant to assist senior citizens.
Political reaction and TMC’s criticism
The development quickly sparked a political row in the state. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongly criticised the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling the move disrespectful. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said issuing such notices to respected figures like Amartya Sen was an “insult to the people of Bengal.”
The BJP and the Election Commission rejected these allegations, saying the notice was purely administrative and had nothing to do with politics.
However, the TMC intensified its attack on Wednesday, 7th January, accusing both the EC and the BJP of pushing what it described as a “Bangla-Birodhi” or anti-Bengal agenda. In a post on X, the party questioned why a globally respected Nobel laureate was being treated like a suspect.
A Nobel laureate should be above any suspicion, right? But what if he's a Bengali? Then he'll be slapped with hearing notices as if he were some common criminal.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 7, 2026
Amartya Sen, whose groundbreaking works form the bedrock of modern economics, who has brought unparalleled glory to… pic.twitter.com/bzp37QORF9
“A Nobel laureate should be above suspicion, right? But if he’s a Bengali, he gets hearing notices like a common criminal,” the party wrote.
EC responds to allegations
Responding to the controversy, the Election Commission reiterated that the SIR process is routine and applies to all voters equally. The poll body has earlier clarified that minor technical errors, such as spelling mistakes or incorrect age entries, can be corrected easily by Booth Level Officers.
The EC also stressed that such discrepancies do not affect a voter’s eligibility or voting rights. Officials maintained that the process is meant to clean up electoral rolls and ensure accuracy, not to target individuals.
