Hit by SIR, now a winner in Bengal - Motab Shaikh's unlikely story
With nominations imminent, Motab Shaikh approached the Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort, securing the first hearing before Bengal's new Appellate Tribunal. The tribunal found no discrepancies in his documents, including his passport, and directed his inclusion as a valid voter, allowing him to file his nomination.
For Motab Shaikh, being one of only two Congress candidates to win in Bengal is headline-worthy. But what sets him apart is the journey behind that win -- from being struck off the voter roll weeks before the election to securing a last-minute intervention from the Chief Justice of India.
Deleted during the SIR adjudication phase for unknown reasons, Shaikh knocked on the Supreme Court’s doors at the last minute. A CJI-led bench directed the newly formed Appellate Tribunal to review his case.
He not only secured clearance but became the first among nearly 27 lakh applicants to be approved -- in a system that has disposed of barely 1,600 cases so far.
Shaikh went on to register a decisive victory in Farakka, defeating BJP’s Sudhir Chowdhury by more than 8,000 votes.
The Appellate Tribunal in Bengal came into being on April 5, a day before the filing of nominations for candidates in the first phase. Time was running out for Shaikh, whose constituency was also going to polls in the first phase.
However, a timely knock at the Supreme Court earned him the first hearing at the Appellate Tribunal, which subsequently directed that he be declared a valid voter through an additional list.
In his order, former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, TS Sivagnanam, presiding over the Appellate Tribunal, said that the Election Commission had cited “technical reasons” for not providing details of the events leading to Shaikh’s deletion during the judicial officers’ overseen adjudication process.
The tribunal further noted that Shaikh possessed valid proof, including his passport, and that there was no discrepancy whatsoever in his father’s name in the records.
Heaving a sigh of relief after the tribunal’s verdict, Shaikh told the media that he would now be able to file his nomination: “Justice has finally been delivered. My name has been cleared and restored, and I can now proceed with filing my nomination.”