The grandson of Nandalal Bose, who decorated the original Constitution of India with motifs and illustration, has been struck off the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound West Bengal.
Suprabuddha Sen, 88, and his wife Deepa Sen, 82, residents of Santiniketan, are among those whose names were deleted ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections to be held later this month. Another family member, Chakradhar Nayak, was also removed.
The Supreme Court has now asked Sen to approach an appellate tribunal to challenge the deletion, while seeking a quick decision on the matter.
Overall, though, there is no deadline set for the tribunals, which means a decision before April 23 and 29, voting days, may or may not be made in such cases. There are around 20 lakh such cases.
Long-time voter from Santiniketan
Sen, a former Damodar Valley Corporation official, has lived in Santiniketan since retiring in 1996 and has regularly voted in elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He studied at Visva-Bharati University and earlier attended Patha Bhavana, founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, heard the matter and allowed the petitioner to challenge the deletion before the tribunal.
The court also asked for his case to be decided quickly.
Who was Nandalal Bose?
Acharya Nandalal Bose (1882–1966) was a leading figure in modern Indian art and headed Kala Bhavan at Santiniketan. At the request of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he and his students created detailed illustrations for the original handwritten Constitution.
The project, completed over four years, included 22 artworks reflecting India’s cultural and historical traditions. He is also known for the Haripura posters.
Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Sen, told the Supreme Court that it was surprising that a family linked to the making of the Constitution was now excluded from the voter list. Representing the Election Commission, senior advocate D S Naidu said the commission would help the tribunal to ensure a timely decision.
West Bengal assembly elections 2026: Voting date
The 2026 West Bengal legislative assembly elections are to be held in two phases: April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
Those removed from the rolls can appeal before 19 Appellate Tribunals set up across the state.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed Congress leader Motab Shaikh to approach a tribunal after his name was removed from the voter list. He asked for his name to be restored and for permission to contest the upcoming election. His name has since been added back.
95% Muslim voters deleted in Nandigram
The issue has also raised concerns in Nandigram, a politically sensitive constituency.
Data analysed by the Sabar Institute using Election Commission records shows that Muslims, who make up about 25% of the population, accounted for 95.5% of deletions in several lists.
In most cases, their share ranged from around 60% to nearly 99%, while non-Muslims made up only a small portion.
Separate data from December 2025, based on “Absent, Shifted, Deceased and Duplicate” (ASDD) criteria, showed Muslims made up about one-third of deletions.
The Election Commission has not commented on the religious breakdown of these deletions.
(with inputs from PTI)
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