Shashi Panja, the West Bengal Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, has been summoned for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing Sunday. Panja announced to the media that she will attend the hearing at Keshav Academy at 2 pm.
Speaking to the media, Panja said, “I will stand in line. This is not right; many voters are being harassed. My hearing centre is nearby, but for many, the distance is 20 km. I received a notice indicating that during the scrutiny, my details or those of my relatives have not been verified, making me an invalid voter since 2002. No one else in my family has been summoned—only me. My husband and daughters have not been called. I will go with all my documents.”
“I do not need any special benefit. I will stand in line with the common man and attend the hearing,” said Panja.
Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mimi Chakraborty has also received a notice for the SIR hearing. According to sources, the former MP has confirmed that she will attend the SIR hearing in Kasba, where she casts her vote, and she will bring all the necessary documents mentioned in the notice.
Chakraborty entered active politics in 2019 when she was nominated by the TMC to contest from the Jadavpur constituency in South Kolkata. She won the election with a record margin, becoming an MP. However, in February 2024, she resigned from her position as an MP and has since distanced herself from politics.
West Bengal’s political and celebrity circles are currently abuzz with the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls. Prominent figures, including state ministers, former MPs, and international athletes, are appearing for verification hearings as part of a massive exercise to clean up the state’s voter list ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Bengali actor and TMC MP Dev recently attended the Special Intensive Revision verification hearing earlier this month. The hearing took place at Katjunagar Swarnamayee Vidyapith (HS) in the Jadavpur area. The Ghatal MP stated that he submitted all the necessary documents during the hearing.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami appeared for his hearing on January 20 at a school in the Bikramgarh area of south Kolkata, bringing the necessary documents with him. The cricketer is registered as a voter in ward number 93 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, which is part of the Rashbehari Assembly constituency.