Amid anticipation over the announcement of election dates for the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal, three other states and a Union
Territory, the BJP’s state unit is said to be rooting for a single-phase or, at most, a two-phase election, instead of a prolonged schedule that many believe amplified the ruling Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) advantages in 2021.
During a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar earlier this week, majority of players, including the BJP, Congress and CPI(M), reportedly demanded that the polls be held in one or two phases.
Apparently in 2021 the BJP had favoured a prolonged schedule.
In fact, the eight-phase elections in West Bengal between March 27 and April 29, 2021 were among the longest election schedules in the history assembly elections in the country.
Held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the EC opted for staggered voting to manage logistics and health risks, it was said.
However, while West Bengal had an eight-phase schedule, elections in the other states were completed much more quickly. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry voted in a single phase on April 6, 2021. Assam had three phases but they were completed in about 12 days.
Officials say the ECI determines the number of polling phases for each state based on a specific set of administrative and security considerations. West Bengal required more phases due to its size, security deployment needs and logistical complexities.
Political observers believe the extended schedule in 2021 favoured the incumbent TMC’s strong grassroots mobilisation to the disadvantage of the BJP. Led by Mamata Banerjee, the party won by a landslide, restricting the BJP, and for the first time in West Bengal’s political history, the Congress and the Left failed to win a single seat.
Pointing to TMC’s deeply rooted grassroots force with extensive booth-level networks, analysts say now there are additional concerns due to the prevailing geopolitical situation that has led to disruptions in essentials such as LPG , triggering anxiety among consumers and businesses, sharpening and shaping political narratives.
And amid the current geopolitical uncertainty, what happens in weeks is anyone’s guess. Apart from significantly increasing financial costs and added strain on security forces, extended campaigns also tend to intensify political rhetoric, as parties devise new ways to mobilise voters, often leading to sharper social or religious polarisation. Long schedules also cause voter fatigue, potentially lowering turnout in the final phases, in turn often favouring the party in power.