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The Election Commission of India announced a two-phase poll for West Bengal on April 23 and April 29, drawing mixed reactions from political parties. While BJP welcomed the announcement, CPI-M questioned the ECI's ability to conduct fair polls with an incomplete voter list. Trinamool Congress expressed readiness for any poll schedule.
Kolkata: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announcing that West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, political parties in Bengal had mixed reactions about the two-phase polling.
Welcoming the move by ECI, BJP state President Samik Bhattacharya said, “We welcome the announcement of poll dates by ECI. The people of West Bengal are ready to oust the Trinamool government. After result announcements, we intend to pay DA as per Seventh Pay Commission, take care of the state’s women from central fund distribution schemes and give Rs 3,000 every month through ‘Annapurna Lakshmir Bhandar’ and make special arrangements for employment of migrant workers, with options for new employments in Bengal. The new government would touch all lives and we are preparing for ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto) in this line.”
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“We wish to bring investments to Bengal in heavy industries and if land acquisitions have to be done, thrice the market price will be paid to the farmers,” Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya slammed the Trinamool government for “institutional corruption” which will cease to exist if BJP is voted to power and said there will be improvement in law and order and divisive politics.
Talking about violence, Bhattacharya said, “During SIR, we have seen violence. BJP could not submit Form 7 submitted by us. We have an eye on the SIR process. Were there any incidents of violence in Bengal in Bihar or Haryana? Have there been any instances of death, gangrape or any violence related to polls? We have faith in ECI and we express that they will be able to give a clean electoral list.”
“People of Bengal will wait for the new government, and we will administer the new government from the Writers' Building,” he said.
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CPI-M leader Mohd Salim said, “The Commission which cannot complete a healthy voter list, how can they do polls in two phases? The Constitutional body has the role to conduct free, fair and violence free elections. When they could not make a clean list, how can they conduct polls?”
Trinamool Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Trinamool Congress works every day and we are ready even on a single day. "In 2021, we had requested the ECI repeatedly to conduct the polls in four phases during COVID but it was conducted in eight phases. They did not listen to the request. BJP got 77 seats in 2021 assembly polls, after announcing they will cross the 200 seats benchmark. Now they will get 27 seats in two phases this time. Trinamool Congress stays with the people every day and serves them,” Ghosh said.
Political Analyst Subhamoy Maitra said, “People will also have to resist violence. If the number of phases are high, the miscreants can shift from one phase to another. So, planning is the main issue. The tradition of violence can be stopped. Bihar and UP, once there was massive violence. It has stopped now. No one can say the tradition will not change in Bengal with usage of CCTVs and technology. This election will be a great challenge to the Election Commission and state administration.”
The year 2001 was the last time when the assembly elections in West Bengal were conducted in a single phase. In 2011, when Mamata Banerjee came to power, it was in six phases and the dates were 18 April to May 10, 2011 Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said, "Today’s model is a different model by the Election Commission after 2001. There is a complete change in mindset. Until 2001, there were single-phase polls. ECI later thought central forces could be deployed and multiple forces were explored.”
“Except in 2011, EC’s experience was not satisfactory. More phases, miscreants have been seen unleashing violence, vote loot, rigging have happened. Deployment of voteloot could not stop people's safety,” he said.
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Source: EconomicTimes
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