The Congress has raised a question over the shorter campaign period
for elections in states scheduled to go to polls on April 9,
especially in Kerala, where it is the principal challenger to the
ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). Party leaders argue that
limited time between the ECI’s announcement of the poll schedule on
Sunday and the voting day restricts effective campaigning, and works
to the advantage of ruling parties, in this case the LDF in Kerala and
BJP in Assam.
A ruling party already has several incumbent MLAs with established
networks, they say, and a shorter campaign period reduces
opportunities for new candidates to interact with voters, is the
argument.
Congress MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said the election
schedule appeared to suit the BJP. “I feel the dates that are
announced and the phases that are decided in elections are done as per
the convenience of the BJP,” she said.
Shashi Tharoor — the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram since 2009 —
said the early election date had taken many by surprise as just three
weeks left for the campaign. Tharoor, who after months of turbulent
ties with the party has now been entrusted with a key role in leading
the Congress campaign in Kerala, said while the LDF will be fielding
several incumbent MLAs, the Congress will introduce many new
candidates who require time to familiarise themselves with their
constituencies. But despite the shorter campaign window, Tharoor said
the party is working intensively on its election strategy. He also
regretted having to miss parts of the ongoing Parliament session due
to campaign commitments in Kerala.
The schedule also coincides with Holy Week and comes just days before
the Vishu festival, Congress leaders said.
Elections in Assam, where the BJP is the incumbent party, and in
Puducherry, where the BJP is in alliance with the All India N.R.
Congress will also be held on April 9 along with Kerala. The results
for these states will be declared on May 4 along with those for the
other poll-bound states—West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while
Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23. Apparently, the BJP’s state unit in
Bengal had asked for a two-phase election, instead of a prolonged
schedule which many believe worked to the advantage of the ruling
Trinamool Congress in 2021.
In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is pitted
against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), while a stronger BJP
is seeking to disrupt the traditional LDF–UDF power cycle. The UDF
hopes to capitalise on a decade-long anti-incumbency against the LDF
after winning 18 of 20 parliamentary seats and many by-elections since
2021, though it lacks a declared chief ministerial face. The LDF,
meanwhile, is banking on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and its
alliance partners. The BJP hopes to ride momentum from recent local
body successes and the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In Assam, the Congress has tried to gain an early advantage by
announcing several candidates and sealing alliances in time. The BJP,
which remains in negotiations with allies, is expected to announce its
candidates around March 18 after finalising the partnership formula.