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New Delhi: Indian cricket sensation Mohammed Shami and his brother, Mohammed Kaif, have found themselves in the spotlight off the field after being summoned by the Election Commission (EC). The summons is part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, an expansive effort to clean up voter rolls that has recently sparked significant political debate in West Bengal.
The summons and discrepancies
On Monday, notices were dispatched from Kartju Nagar School in Jadavpur, South Kolkata, instructing the siblings to appear before the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO). The inquiry stems from technical complications found in their enumeration forms, specifically regarding discrepancies in how family trees are linked in the digital records and inconsistencies in self-mapping.
Although Shami was born in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, he has been a long-term resident of Kolkata. He is currently enrolled as a voter in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Ward No. 93, which falls under the Rashbehari Assembly constituency.
Rescheduled due to cricket commitments
The high-speed bowler was unable to attend the initial hearing as he is currently representing Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Rajkot. Acknowledging his professional commitments, the Election Commission has rescheduled the hearing to take place between January 9 and 11.
A climate of controversy
The summons comes at a time of heightened tension regarding the voter list in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently issued a scathing letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, questioning the integrity and transparency of the SIR process.
"Although the exercise is described as time-bound, there are no clearly defined, transparent, or uniformly applicable timelines. Different States are following different criteria, and timelines are being altered arbitrarily, reflecting a glaring lack of clarity, preparedness, and procedural understanding," she wrote.
The final, updated voter list for the poll-bound state is slated for publication on February 14. As the deadline approaches, the EC is racing to resolve thousands of similar discrepancies to ensure the roll's accuracy.
