TMC leader Mohammad Ali questioned the ECI’s fairness ahead of the West Bengal poll announcement, citing an incomplete electoral roll revision. Meanwhile, the BJP’s Rahul Sinha has demanded that the elections be held in one or two phases.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mohammad Ali on Sunday questioned the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) fairness, ahead of the announcement of election dates for West Bengal, asserting that it would not be correct to conduct polls in the State until the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is fully completed. Speaking to ANI, Ali further alleged that if the Assembly elections are weaponised to impose President’s Rule in West Bengal, it would be detrimental to democracy. He added that the Election Commission risks losing public trust if it does not correct its course. “…The fairness of Election Commission is questionable. Process to snatch away the democratic rights of public is ongoing and we are against it…Until the SIR process is complete, it will not be correct to conduct elections. If this is weaponised to impose President’s Rule here, it will not be good for democracy. What the EC is doing is not right. In the years to come, people will lose their trust in this institution…” Ali told ANI.
BJP Demands Polls in 1-2 Phases
However, BJP leader Rahul Sinha expressed an opposing view and demanded that the West Bengal Assembly elections be held in only one or two phases this time. “The announcement for early elections should be made soon, otherwise elections won’t be held on time… We demand that elections in West Bengal should be held in one or two phases this time, but whatever decision the Election Commission takes, we will accept it. West Bengal BJP is fully prepared for the elections,” said Sinha.
In 2021, the elections to the West Bengal Assembly were held over eight phases.
ECI to Announce Schedule Amidst Concerns
The Election Commission of India (ECI) this morning said that it will announce the schedule for the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territory of Puducherry at 4 pm today.
Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday briefed the media on the Election Commission’s two-day review of the preparations for the West Bengal Assembly elections The poll panel’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is still not complete in Bengal, where around 60 lakh people are under “adjudication”.
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly consists of 294 seats, with the primary contest expected to be between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in the state since 2011.
A Look at Past Election Results
2016 Assembly Election
In the 2016 Assembly election in West Bengal, the state recorded a voter turnout of 82.2%. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured a decisive victory, winning 211 of the 294 seats with a 45.6% vote share. The Indian National Congress and the CPI(M) secured 44 and 26 seats respectively, with vote shares of 12.4% and 20.1%. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured only 3 seats, garnering 10.3% of the total vote share.
2021 Assembly Election
However, in the 2021 state Assembly elections, despite a high voter turnout of 84.7%, the Trinamool Congress retained power, though it saw a slight dip in its total seat count, winning 213 seats with 48.5% of the vote share. The BJP saw a significant improvement in its performance, jumping from three seats in 2016 to 77 seats with 38.5% of the vote share. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress witnessed a sharp decline, winning only one seat with 1.6% of the vote share.
In the forthcoming Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress will look to defend its fortress against the Bharatiya Janata Party, which would want to secure a victory after winning 77 seats in the last elections.
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