West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lashed out at the Election Commission of India alleging that the dates for the upcoming assembly elections in the state were announced ‘as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s suggestions?’ This was after Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced that the polls in West Bengal would be held in eight stages with the first phase of the polling scheduled to be held on 27 March.
Speaking to reporters soon after the announcement by the national poll body, Banerjee said, “I have information from my sources that the poll dates are similar to the ones BJP wanted. Have the dates been announced as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s suggestions? The PM and the home minister cannot misuse their power for the state elections.”
Banerjee said that the decision to hold polls in eight stages was to allow Modi and Shah to campaign extensively in Bengal as well as Assam, which will go to polls in three stages on 27 March, 1 April and 6 April. Banerjee said that the election commission must stop the misuse of money power.
“The Union home minister should work for the country. He cannot misuse his powers for the elections here. We welcome the PM, but he cannot misuse his powers for West Bengal polls,” she was quoted by news agency PTI.
Many experts have questioned the decision to hold assembly elections in Bengal in eight stages. According to the dates announced by the Election Commission, while the first phase of the polls will be held on 27 March, voters will have to wait for 35 days to learn about the outcome of the elections. This, according to critics, increases the possibility of poll fraud using the EVMs that would be kept in strong rooms after the polls.
Polls in Bengal would be held on 27 March, 1 April, 6 April, 10 April, 17 April, 22 April, 26 April and 29 April. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will see a single-phase voting on 6 April.