EC to decide on holding polls in 4 states in compact schedule

Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam are likely to be held in a single or at the most two phases, as sources close to developments have indicated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering the requests from political parties and even its own officials to keep the exercise to minimum days. Though a final decision will only be known once the schedule for elections are announced by the ECI.

While political parties in Assam have urged the ECI to hold the upcoming assembly elections in a single phase, most probably before the Rongali Bihu festival, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal is learnt to have recommended to the poll body to hold the forthcoming elections in a single phase.

It is learnt that the reason behind suggesting a single phase election in West Bengal by the state CEO was that it will help contain Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s criticism of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Also when assembly elections were held in a staggering eight phases in 2021 in the state, she had attacked the ECI for conducting polls in so many phases at a time when the second wave of COVID was ravaging the entire country, and had led to millions of deaths during April-June 2021.

She had cited examples in the past when elections in West Bengal were held in a single phase, and therefore sources pointed out that the suggestion by the CEO may help counter the allegations and grievances of the state government.

In 2021, assembly elections were held from March 27 to April 29 in eight phases in West Bengal.

While Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday (February 18) told mediapersons in Guwahati that the poll body will consider requests from political parties to hold the upcoming assembly elections in a single phase before the Rongali Bihu festival (a request which has come mainly from the ruling BJP-AGP alliance), there is no indication from the poll body on whether it has considered West Bengal CEO’s suggestion to hold the elections there in a single phase.

In 2021, assembly elections in Assam were held in three phases from March 27 to April 6.

While the BJP is in power in Assam since 2016 and it is eyeing its third straight win there, riding over the anti-infiltrator narrative in the border state, in West Bengal, it is keen to snatch the state from the ruling TMC, which has been in power there since 2011.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala have witnessed single phase elections in the past and in 2021 also polling was held in a single phase in both the states on April 6, 2021.

There is a likelihood that this time too elections might be held in a single phase in both the southern states, where BJP is eyeing significant gains.

The ECI is likely to announce the schedule for assembly polls in the second week of March, as the poll body has already completed its review of election preparedness in Assam and is likely to travel to West Bengal soon to do the same.

The poll body may also visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu soon to review the preparations for the assembly elections.

Apart from the four states, the union territory of Puducherry is also going for polls during the same period of March-April.

The terms of the five assemblies end on different dates in May and June. While the tenure of the Puducherry assembly ends on June 15, the terms of the assemblies in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will conclude on May 20, May 23, May 10 and May 7 respectively.