The upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal are set to be held in just two phases next month, a significant reduction from the eight-phase voting seen during the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. The new schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India, sparking political reactions across major parties. Despite different opinions on the number of phases, both the ruling and opposition parties believe the shorter election schedule could work in their favour.

The ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) expressed dissatisfaction with the decision. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that during the 2021 elections the opposition had demanded more phases, whereas TMC had preferred fewer phases due to the COVID-19 situation. He argued that the current two-phase schedule reflects demands made by the opposition earlier. The party, led by Mamata Banerjee, however remains confident about returning to power and claimed that public support for the party remains strong.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the election schedule. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the party expects to form the next government in the state. He stated that if elected, the BJP government would operate from Writers’ Building instead of Nabanna and promised to implement several schemes, including financial support for women and the implementation of Dearness Allowance for state government employees.

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The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) also raised concerns about ensuring fair elections. Party state secretary Md Salim said the focus should be on conducting polls without fear, violence or irregularities. He also highlighted concerns about voter lists, claiming that around six million voters remain under “logical discrepancy” or “under adjudication” categories in electoral records.

Political analysts say that while the number of phases has decreased, the main challenge will be ensuring peaceful voting. The BJP has already been campaigning aggressively through initiatives such as the “Parivartan Yatra,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address several major rallies in the state. With intense competition among parties, the two-phase election is expected to be one of the most closely watched political contests in the country.

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