Poll Body's Rare Feat: Both Trinamool, BJP Happy With 2-Phase Bengal Polls

With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the two-phase Assembly election in West Bengal, there is a sense of relief within the ruling Trinamool Congress, which did not want a prolonged election like the eight-phase polls back in 2021.

The full bench of the Election Commission, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, recently came to Kolkata and met representatives of major political parties. Almost all of them said they preferred a two-phase election. According to sources in the Trinamool Congress, the poll body had indicated to the party's representatives that the polling would be held in two or three phases. So, yesterday's announcement was not a surprise.

Bengal Finance Minister and Trinamool spokesperson Chandrima Bhattacharya, however, questioned the rationale behind holding a two-phase election in Bengal when the other four states going to polls in this election season are voting in one phase. Bhattacharya said the Election Commission is "acting like a servant and doing whatever the master directs". "There is no logic behind this decision," she said, adding that the Election Commission "believes that such arrangements will benefit the BJP".

Why Trinamool Is Happy

Besides the relief over a two-phase election, the Trinamool camp is also happy with the clear demarcation of north and south Bengal constituencies in the vote schedule. All northern districts and some southern areas are voting on April 23, and only southern districts are going to the polls on April 29. This is different from the mix-and-match schedule in 2021, when districts from both regions voted in each phase.

The rationale behind this mix-and-match schedule was to prevent electoral outcomes in the north from influencing the polling in the south. But such a schedule is a logistical nightmare for political parties as they constantly need to switch resources between distant areas.

Also, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is the ruling party's biggest face and a mix-and-match schedule would make the poll campaign strenuous for the 71-year-old.

Trinamool sources, therefore, say the clear demarcation is welcome.

Why The BJP Is Happy

Leaders in the BJP earlier preferred a multi-phase election because it leads to better deployment of central forces, which they say is critical to checking the ruling party's alleged intimidatory actions.

But the earlier polls showed that this did not solve the problem. The reason is that law and order is a state subject in Bengal and paramilitary personnel are ultimately dependent on the state police. Also, they do not know the local geography.

BJP leaders say that in several areas, central forces received alerts about a particular polling booth and tried to rush there. But since the paramilitary personnel were not familiar with the area, they had to seek the local cops' help. Local police, the BJP leaders alleged, delayed or misled the paramilitary troops. And by the time they reached the spot, the action was over. This time, BJP leaders believe, the situation may actually be better.

Some BJP leaders also believe that the two-phase election would keep the ruling party's "strongmen" in check. The mobilisation of anti-social elements, they say, is difficult when an election is held within a shorter time frame.

The SIR Factor

Looming large over the upcoming election in Bengal is the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, an issue which has become a massive political flashpoint. About 60 lakh names have been struck off during this exercise, and another 60 lakh are still under adjudication.

The Election Commission and judicial officers are now racing against time to complete the work. But if they cannot do it within the stipulated time, and if those under adjudication are barred from voting, the Trinamool is sure to respond strongly.

Also, the poll machinery is on a constitutional deadline. The tenure of the current Assembly ends on May 7, and the new House must be in place before that, failing which President's Rule is imposed.

A New Governor

As the state enters the election season, it has a new Governor. RN Ravi, who made headlines for his face-off with the MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu, has now come to Kolkata. A former Intelligence Bureau officer, Ravi is known to be a tough Governor. And BJP leaders feel his presence could help check alleged excesses by the ruling party.

The Election Commission has already cracked the whip by replacing the state's top officials a day after announcing the polls. The poll body replaced Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty with Dushyant Nariala, and top cop Peeyush Pandey with Siddh Nath Gupta. And with the model code of conduct in place, and the new Governor in charge, BJP leaders say they feel more confident about the poll atmosphere.