As the Election Commission (EC) limited the number of phases in this year’s West Bengal elections to just two, down from eight in 2021, the move triggered sharp reactions from across the political spectrum in the state.
While the Opposition BJP welcomed the EC’s decision to hold the elections in two phases, it attacked the ruling TMC over the law and order situation in the state, saying that while three other states will go to polls in one phase, the EC had to announce a two-phase election for West Bengal.
“Elections were held in Haryana, Bihar, and Delhi. Was anyone’s house demolished by a JCB after the elections there? Was there any news of murder, or were there any bombings? This is a matter of shame for West Bengal, that while all other states have one phase, we have two,” said state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya.
“We welcome the two-phase election as announced by the EC. Now, there is no question of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. We have faith in the Election Commission. It is a constitutional body,” he added.
The Left and Congress, however, focused on the integrity of the electoral rolls in the wake of the Special Intensive Revision exercise in which over 60 lakh names – roughly 8% of the state’s electorate – and another 60 lakh names of electors have been put under adjudication, which is currently going on.
Expressing skepticism over the neutrality of the process and the accuracy of the voters’ lists, CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said, “The number of phases doesn’t matter. What matters to us is whether the elections will be free, fair, neutral, and peaceful… An impartial election could not be conducted as the voters’ list could not be prepared properly or impartially. In specific areas, religions, booths, regions, and assemblies, the election results were pre-determined using statistics.”
State Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar set a deadline for the EC for resolving the adjudication cases. “We demand that seven days before the first phase of polls on April 23, the EC must clear the entire list of 60 lakh adjudication cases,” he said, adding, “Genuine voters, who are under adjudication, how will they participate in this election?”
Opposition leaders warned that proceeding with the 2026 polls while nearly one crore voters are unable to exercise their franchise threatens to undermine the very legitimacy of the mandate.
Naushad Siddiqui, the sole MLA of the ISF, also raised the issue of adjudication cases.
“The two-phased election is fine. There’s no problem with that. The bigger issue is that the Election Commission must ensure a space where people can express their opinions peacefully. They have talked about webcasting, surveillance outside and inside polling stations… But on the day of the election, whether it’s the CISF or other Central Forces, these systems are nowhere to be found. Naturally, those in power exercise absolute authority using goons, muscle power, and the sound of bombs and pistols to suppress the people’s mandate. Now, the real question is how peacefully this election will actually be conducted. A question remains: more than 60 lakh people are currently under ‘adjudication.’ How can this “festival of democracy” be justified while keeping such a vast number of people out of it? Is this notification or the announcement of these dates even logical? That remains the question,” the ISF leader said.
“I am speaking with my party and lawyers. I am checking if there is any ground to challenge this. If necessary, we will move to challenge it. It is an injustice to the voters of Bengal. Firstly, if those under adjudication want to stand as candidates, what will they do? I don’t think the Election Commission has any guidelines for such a situation,” he said.
“Secondly, a government will be formed by electing a candidate, and 60 lakh is not a small number—it’s huge. If such a massive portion of the population is excluded, the process remains incomplete. Thirdly, why haven’t we been able to resolve the cases of these 60 lakh people?… We will not participate in the election until these issues are resolved,” he added.
The ruling TMC said they are ready even if the elections were held in a single phase. “Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar himself is not neutral. Are we supposed to stay silent? We are ready for elections even in a single phase… This time, Trinamool will win in Nandigram. The Trinamool Congress will win over 250 seats. Mamata Banerjee will return to power once again with more than 250 MLAs,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.