East Burdwan, 26 December (H.S.): A new controversy has erupted in West Bengal regarding the SIR of the voter list. A political uproar has ensued after the Election Commission sent notices to the mother, brother, and sister-in-law of Trinamool Congress MLA Nabin Chandra Bag from the Khandaghosh assembly constituency in East Burdwan district, summoning them for a hearing.

The controversy stems from the fact that the names of all three individuals summoned for the hearing were already included in the 2002 voter list. The last SIR in the state was conducted in 2002. Despite this, MLA Nabin Chandra Bag has questioned the Election Commission's intentions after receiving the hearing notices.

Nabin Chandra Bag alleged that his family members are being deliberately harassed because he is a Trinamool Congress MLA. He said that his mother, brother, and sister-in-law's names are already on the voter list, yet they have been summoned for a hearing. The MLA claimed that this action was taken at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to put mental pressure on his family. He also said that his mother was frightened after receiving the notice.

However, BJP leaders in Purba Bardhaman district have completely rejected these allegations. Local BJP leader Mrityunjay Chandra said that the Trinamool MLA is trying to mislead the public. He explained that voters are often summoned for hearings due to spelling errors in names or other technical reasons. The BJP leader said that the Trinamool Congress is trying to confuse the public regarding the process of removing the names of illegal Bangladeshi voters from the list, but they will not succeed.

Nabin Chandra Bag has been continuously serving as an MLA from the Khandaghosh assembly constituency since 2011. From 2011 to 2016, he was an MLA of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He then joined the Trinamool Congress and successfully won the elections as a candidate of the ruling party in 2016 and 2021. Hearings on claims and objections to the draft electoral roll will begin on Saturday. The final electoral roll will be published on February 14, 2026. Following this, the Election Commission will announce the dates for the crucial assembly elections in the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey