Trinamul says seven-phase polls in Bengal would work to advantage of cash-rich BJP
Telegraph | 18 March 2024
The Trinamul Congress on Saturday said the seven-phase polls in Bengal would work to the advantage of the BJP which got more financial resources and slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for not considering its demand for the voting in one go.
"The seven-phase election is not required in Bengal. If the elections are conducted in several phases, parties with greater financial strength like the BJP will get time to mobilise their strength and money to the greatest extent," state finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharyya told a news conference in Calcutta.
During a meeting with the full bench of the ECI earlier this month, Trinamul leaders had requested that the polls be conducted in one or two phases.
"Our plea to conduct the election in one or two phases was not considered. Large states like Tamil Nadu which has 39 seats, Gujarat with 26 seats and Andhra Pradesh with 25 seats or Kerala with 20 seats are having elections in a single phase whereas Bengal with 42 seats have elections in seven phases," said state INTTUC president Ritabrata Banerjee, who was with Bhattacharyya at the news conference.
Trinamul also claimed that the decision to hold the elections in seven phases was also an attack on the federal structure as the demand of the state government was not taken into account.
"This is a disregard for the federal structure. The state government's views were not taken into account. We are surprised why there was a need to conduct polls in seven phases in Bengal," said Trinamul Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.
The ruling dispensation also raised questions about how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hurriedly appointed the two election commissioners, shortly after one of the incumbents had quit the chair.
"We are not criticising the ECI. The PM acted like a cricket team captain who chose the umpire of the match himself. We condemn this.... We have seen how the votes were looted in Chandigarh (during the mayoral election). However, things changed after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the same," added Bhattacharya, who is also the president of the Trinamul Mahila Congress.
The BJP welcomed the commission's decision. "We thought that the poll would be conducted in eight phases. However, we welcome the decision of the Election Commission," said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.
Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also welcomed the seven-phased polls and asked the commission to deploy central forces as soon as possible.
"Trinamul wanted a single-phase poll as they could loot the votes in a day or two. I would request the Election Commission to deploy central forces much before the polls, instead of deploying them one or two days before the polls," said Chowdhury.
CPM state secretary Md. Salim said the ECI should ensure free and fair polls beyond money and muscle powers.
Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Saturday said he would be actively engaged in the upcoming general election to end violence and corruption in the state.