The Election Commission on Thursday responded to an appeal by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer regarding difficulties faced by voters residing abroad in attending SIR hearings. In a notification, the commission announced that close relatives of such voters may appear at hearings on their behalf, provided they carry appropriate supporting documents.
According to the directive, authorised close relatives can attend hearings for voters who are unable to appear in person due to residence in a foreign country. These relatives must submit proof of their relationship with the voter and present the documents specified by the commission for the hearing process. However, the notification does not mention any relaxation for voters residing in other states within India.
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This directive has been issued amid nationwide discussion over a hearing notice sent to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, who currently resides abroad. He was served a notice due to a “logical discrepancy” identified in the draft voter list, where the age difference between him and his mother, Amit Sen, was found to be less than 15 years, which is generally considered unlikely. The notice triggered speculation over whether Amartya Sen himself would be required to appear at the hearing.
Voters are being summoned for hearings following the publication of the draft list, primarily due to such “logical discrepancies.” Many state residents living abroad for higher education or employment have expressed concern about their inability to attend hearings within the stipulated time, fearing that their names could be removed from the voter list.
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On January 6, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Manojkumar Agarwal, had written to the Election Commission seeking a solution to this issue. The commission’s Thursday notification addressed that appeal by allowing representation through close relatives for non-resident voters.
Notably, it was announced that 1 crore 36 lakh voters would be called for hearings due to logical discrepancies. After scrutiny and the removal of names affected by technical errors, the number has been revised. As of now, 94.49 lakh voters are set to be called for hearings, many of whom are reportedly residing in other states or abroad.
