The full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, began a three-day tour of West Bengal Monday ahead of the Assembly polls. The Opposition parties, the BJP and the CPI(M), have sought a drastic reduction in the number of polling phases. At the same time, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) demanded “full compliance with Supreme Court orders” regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to ensure a foolproof process.
In West Bengal, elections have generally been held in at least five phases since 2011. During the 2021 Assembly elections, the process took place over eight phases, and for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, it was conducted in seven phases.
A BJP delegation asked the ECI full bench, comprising S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, besides the CEC, to conduct the polls in no more than three phases. Also, the party urged the ECI to implement measures to ensure a violence-free election in West Bengal. The delegation submitted a 16-point charter of demands, highlighting their concerns about the state’s security situation ahead of the Assembly elections.
On the other hand, the CPI(M) formally appealed to the ECI to conduct the upcoming Bengal Assembly elections in a single phase. The party argued that holding elections in multiple phases allows anti-social elements to move across constituencies, potentially affecting the fairness of the process.
CPI(M) West Bengal state secretary Mohammed Salim stressed the importance of a streamlined electoral process. He said that if a single-phase election is not feasible, the process should not exceed two phases. The CPI(M) emphasised the importance of a comprehensive voter list and urged that all eligible voters be included after the SIR.
According to ECI sources, the CEC and other members of the full ECI bench urged enforcement agencies to take all necessary actions to ensure free and fair elections. They stated that they will not tolerate any laxity in the preparations for the elections.
BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay, who was part of the three-member party delegation that met the ECI members, said a key concern raised by the delegation was the deployment and utilisation of nearly 400 companies of Central forces currently stationed in the state.
Chattopadhyay criticised the state police’s role in directing these forces, alleging that the existing “confidence-building measures” were failing to reassure voters. “We are dissatisfied with the way the state police is utilising the Central forces. If a violence-free and fearless environment is to be created, the Commission must take action against State police and government officials who prevent voters from casting their own ballots,” he said.
In a press note, the ECI said, “Political parties urged the Commission to take stringent measures to curb the aggression of anti social elements and ensure that there is no intimidation of voters during the forthcoming elections. They called upon the ECI to ensure a peaceful, free & fair election. They called upon ECI to provide protection to each voter and deploy CAPF in large numbers to curb violence during elections. The parties raised their concerns about the possibility of use of crude bombs, illegal firearms, money and muscle power by certain parties.”
“The political parties assured the Commission that they will fully cooperate in ensuring that the polls in West Bengal are free of violence. CEC reiterated that SIR has been conducted in the most transparent manner without any bias. He added that Forms 6/7/8 can still be filed for any inclusions/deletions/changes,” it added.