Trinamool's Chandrima Bhattacharya Claims Strong Law and Order as West Bengal Elections Reduced to Two Phases
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, March 16 (NationPress) Following the announcement of the electoral schedule for West Bengal, prominent Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya asserted that the law and order situation in the state is robust, noting that the election process has been condensed to just two phases instead of the previous eight.
Bhattacharya indicated that after the unsuccessful attempt to implement an eight-phase election in 2021, the Election Commission has opted to simplify it to two phases.
"The transition from eight phases to two demonstrates the Commission's acknowledgment that the law and order in West Bengal is indeed stable," she stated.
Criticizing the Election Commission, the minister remarked: "Despite previous concerns raised about the state's law and order, the Commission has now reduced the polling from eight phases to two. This clearly indicates that the situation is safe. The earlier scheme, perceived as a conspiracy by the Election Commission, which is alleged to operate on behalf of the BJP, has been thwarted. It will not succeed again this time."
She further commented: "If there are any hidden agendas behind the decision to hold the elections in two phases rather than one, the Commission's plans will ultimately falter."
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a two-phase polling schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections — on April 23 and April 29. Meanwhile, the futures of over 42 lakh voters, categorized under the 'logical discrepancy' category and awaiting judicial adjudication, remain uncertain.
According to data from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, the total number of voters in the state was recorded at 7,66,37,529 prior to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls initiated in November. However, after the final voters' list was released on February 28, excluding those in judicial review, the count dropped to 6,44,52,609.