Cricketer Mohammed Shami, Brother Summoned by Election Commission Over SIR; Hearing in Kolkata
Kolkata | January 5, 2026 | DeccanLive.com
The West Bengal Election Commission has issued a notice to Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami after finding irregularities in his SIR (Special Intensive Revision) voter form. According to media reports, similar issues were also found in the form submitted by his brother Mohammed Kaif.
The notice was sent from Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Ward No. 93, asking Shami to appear before the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for clarification. The issues reportedly relate to self-mapping and progeny mapping errors in the voter records.
Mohammed Shami is registered as a voter in Ward No. 93 of South Kolkata, which falls under the Rashbehari Assembly constituency. However, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shami had cast his vote in his native village in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh.
The Election Commission published a draft voter list on December 16 after completing the SIR process. In this revision, names of around 58.21 lakh voters were removed, following which the process of claims, objections, and hearings began.
Shami is currently playing for Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Rajkot. His hearing is scheduled to take place between January 9 and January 11. Notably, Shami was not selected for the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI and T20 series, starting January 11.
The SIR process in West Bengal has sparked political debate. Several prominent figures, including former ministers and MPs’ family members, have also been called for hearings over voter form issues.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Election Commission of harassing people in the name of SIR. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Chief Election Commissioner, demanding the suspension of the SIR process, calling it unplanned and faulty.
In response, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also wrote to the Election Commission, accusing the Chief Minister of making false claims and alleging that the TMC is trying to protect fake voters.
