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Polling Dates Announced for 4 States & Puducherry, 8-Phased Polling In West Bengal

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-02-26 14:18:27

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

The Election Commission (EC) today announced he dates for the elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. Elections in these states and union territory will be held in phases from March 27 to April 29 and counting will be done on May 2. While Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will have polling on a single day on April 6, Assam will have a three-phase election on March 27 and April 1 and 6. West Bengal has been singled out for special treatment with elections spread over more than one month in 8 phases.

The EC cannot be faulted for announcing a punishing schedule for West Bengal as there are pointers that there will be a fierce turf battle between the ruling TMC and the BJP. The two are at loggerheads ever since the BJP made heavy inroads in TMC citadels in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. After that, the BJP has been steadily poaching on TMC leaders at all levels and the party's bigwigs, including Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been making repeated trips to the state. All observers expect bloodshed during the days leading to the polls and disturbances on poll days. Hence the EC is taking no chances and will hold the elections in 8 phases to make the best use of Central forces in conducting free and fair elections.

But the picture changes once one sees it from another angle. Consider the fact that there is not a massive difference in the number of seats between Tamil Nadu (234) and West Bengal (294). Yet, Tamil Nadu will have elections in a single phase while West Bengal elections are spread over eight phases in a month and two days. Has the EC decided to give the BJP enough time to end campaigning in other states by April 5 and concentrate on West Bengal by deploying the heavyweights in the remaining phases? That is another, more interesting and controversial, way to look at the need to have polling in 8 phases in the state. 

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